What it’s like being a mother and a student at UCSC

Mayte Munoz’s apartment is a comfortable two-story unit in Family Student Housing, a community on the outskirts of campus wedged between Porter, Rachel Carson, and the West Remote parking lot. A 21-year-old environmental studies major, Mayte lives here with her partner and her one-year-old daughter, Aria.

Many UCSC students know what it’s like to juggle schoolwork with a part-time job. But there are some students, like Mayte, whose occupation is a little different: Motherhood. Being a student and a parent, she fluctuates daily between her life as an undergrad and her life as Aria’s mom, often having to make difficult compromises between the two sets of responsibilities. Mayte had foreseen these struggles, which is why, when she found out she was pregnant back in January 2015, she was reluctant to keep the baby.

“I kind of had a mindset that I wasn’t gonna keep her, because I was like, oh, I’m gonna do school and it’s gonna be hard,” she said. If she had given up the baby, she would have been able to continue her studies almost uninterrupted. As she began to gather advice from her friends and family, however, she began to become attached to the idea of having and raising a child. But Mayte says that it was one thing, something like a sign from above, that changed her mind for good.

“I talked to one of my friend’s mom…” Mayte remembered revealing the news of her pregnancy to the mother of one of her closest friends, who, shockingly, replied, “‘No wonder I had this dream of a little girl… but I didn’t know who she was. She’s your baby, Mayte! She’s so beautiful!’” From then on, Mayte decided that she was going to have the baby, continue school, and make things work.

The decision to keep an unplanned child is still not an easy one. Katie Marlow, a sociology major and first-generation college student, wasn’t even sure that college was the right path for her until she was about 24, when she decided to start taking classes at Cabrillo College. The news of her pregnancy in her first semester of school only magnified her uncertainty.

“I didn’t know if I was supposed to be in school — should I just quit and just figure this pregnancy out?” Katie recalled asking herself. “I actually just decided to stick it out.” After wrapping things up at Cabrillo, toting a rapidly-growing child along the way, Katie transferred to UCSC last year and is set to graduate in spring 2017. Her son, Marley, is now five years old — Katie has been a mom for nearly her entire school career.

Pregnancy had also come at a busy time for Aura Morris-Flores, another sociology major and transfer.

An active community organizer in LA, Aura had been working two jobs and attending school full time when a visit to the doctor revealed that she was pregnant. Despite the surprise, Aura said that it was good news. “My mom was in the same room as me [when I found out], so she got really emotional, but she was really happy. I didn’t realize that she’d be so happy.”

Aura’s son, now four months old, is named Ahiko (a name taken from ‘Moomat Ahiko’, the name of a street leading into the Pacific Coast Highway, where Aura and her partner spent a lot of time together).

Going through with an unplanned pregnancy is one thing, however, and raising a child on a college campus is another. Mayte and Katie both live at Family Student Housing, where the rent is relatively cheap. There is also counseling available, which Mayte said has helped her through the most difficult times, and a child care facility, where Katie’s son attends preschool.

It is the campus resources that Katie is the most grateful for — her biggest worry in the wake of her impending graduation is being thrust into the city amidst a worsening housing crisis and more expensive daycare rates, all without the support of financial aid. According to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, students with children tend to graduate with more debt than students without children, which places extra pressure on student parents to find a well-paying job with their new degree.

Family Student Housing at UCSC is undoubtedly an easier, more convenient place to live than the city: Rent for a two-bedroom apartment in FSH is $1,610 a month, compared to an average rent of $2,829 for a two-bedroom anywhere off campus. “Because I’m studying the housing crisis, honestly, I’m scared to leave here,” Katie said. “I’m really worried about where we’re gonna live and what’s going to come after this.” She is also worried about finding a daycare and school for Marley in the city where, unlike on campus, she does not receive a subsidy for child care.

While expressing similar concerns, LA natives Aura and Mayte also appreciate the benefits of living in Santa Cruz, where the ocean is at their doorstep and their children can grow up surrounded by nature and fresh air. Mayte is satisfied that her love for the environment can be passed on to Aria, who’s already begun to express an enthusiasm for the trees and rosebushes around her. In turn, Mayte has found that being a parent influences her academic interests in unexpected ways: She now believes in saving the environment not just for the sake of the environment itself, but for the sake of future generations. “Now, when I write research papers, it’s not only based on human population,” she said, “it’s kind of more narrowed down to children.”

In between maintaining a GPA and constantly doing homework, and making sure one’s child is fed, clothed, and supervised, it also takes a considerable amount of time and energy to make sure that one is spending quality time with their child. Katie feels guilty for having bought an iPad to keep Marley preoccupied while she studies, but sometimes, understandably, there is no other alternative. Any parent knows that when children are in their formative years, it is critical to give them the emotional attention they need; at the same time, any student knows all too well the stress of keeping up with schoolwork. The dual pressures can be overwhelming.

“Sometimes when I feel the most stressed out,” Aura said, “I just look at him [and say], ‘You know, Ahiko, this doesn’t even matter. You’re the one who matters right here.’”