by Lilly Uvalle
I started my college journey at UC Merced back in 2010. Like many students, I had big dreams, but life had other plans for me. I got married in 2012 when I was just 20 years old, and by 2013, I had stopped going to school altogether. Life moved forward quickly. I had my first daughter in February 2017, and with hope in my heart, I tried returning to school that same fall.
I remember nervously asking my professors if I could bring my daughter to class, and to my surprise, they all said yes. I thought that meant it would be easy. It wasn’t. I’d pack up my backpack, her diaper bag, and maneuver her stroller across campus. I’d search for a spot in each classroom where I could park the stroller close to me, hoping she’d sleep through the lectures. But if she woke up crying, my anxiety would kick in. I’d grab our things and leave often in tears myself. The emotional weight of juggling motherhood and school at that time was too much, and I had to step away once again.
In 2019, I had my second daughter, and for a while, I wondered if going back to school would always be just a dream. But when both of my girls were finally in school themselves, I saw my opportunity. I returned to UC Merced in Spring 2023.
This time, the balance was still difficult, but a bit more manageable. I would take both girls to school in the morning, and my mom helped by picking them up afterward. I worked part-time on campus and then picked them up from my mom's house in the evening. There were still challenges. I missed class when the girls were sick or had doctor’s appointments. Sometimes I could bring them with me to class, but not always. One moment that still stings was during a psychology lecture when a professor quietly told me I needed to leave because that day's topic wasn't appropriate for children. I understood, but I still left fighting back tears.
Despite the setbacks, I pushed through. In December 2024, I graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Health and a minor in Psychology. As I walked across the stage, my daughters were in the audience, bouncing up and down, cheering for me. Their joy made every difficult day worth it.
Going to college while raising children is incredibly hard. There were tears, moments of doubt, and a lot of sacrifices. But it’s not impossible. My daughters were my biggest motivation, and they were also my biggest reward. I did it for them and seeing their proud little faces on graduation day reminded me exactly why I never gave up.
To every parent thinking about going back to school: you can do this. It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it.
