{"id":311378,"date":"2024-04-30T10:45:29","date_gmt":"2024-04-30T15:45:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=311378"},"modified":"2024-05-02T09:59:13","modified_gmt":"2024-05-02T14:59:13","slug":"first-mother-graduate-college-pregnant-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/first-mother-graduate-college-pregnant-students\/","title":{"rendered":"First mother set to graduate from college program supporting pregnant students"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A young mother will accept her diploma from a Catholic university in North Dakota with her 18-month-old toddler by her side, thanks to a program meant to support pregnant and parenting students as they finish their college educations.<\/p>\n

The University of Mary launched their St. Teresa of Calcutta Community for Mothers last year<\/a>. The program provides room and board for pregnant students, as well as other assistance, like childcare. Katie Chihoski is going to be the first graduate<\/a> from the program \u2014 along with her daughter Lucia, of course.<\/p>\n

\u201cKatie and Lucia are beloved on campus,\u201d said Vice President for Student Development Reed Ruggles, the program’s overseer. Ruggles said how exciting it’s been to see the children on campus grow up. \u201cLucia, for example, was very little when she moved in with her mother, Katie,\u201d he said. \u201cTo see her take her first steps, say her first words, and grow from carrier to highchair in our Crow\u2019s Nest Restaurant on campus has been a gift to all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

College campuses are, in general, not friendly<\/a> to pregnant and parenting students, leading women to believe abortion is their only choice if they want to finish their education. But this program shows that what women need is better support \u2014 not abortion.<\/p>\n