The Idea of an Essay, Volume 3

148 The Idea of an Essay: Volume 3 The Struggles of the Single Parent College Student Hannah David Writing an Argument Essay about the ability for single parents to be successful college students is personal to me. I am a single mother and college senior. Because I am a nontraditional student I have faced several hardships that most traditional students will never experience. I understand why many single parents aspire to earn a college degree. Although the challenge of providing a stable home for our children intensifies this particular goal it is the boundless opportunity, satisfaction and pride that accompany earning a college degree that makes every challenge worthwhile. I come from a background of successful college graduates. In my immediate family, there are pilots, lawyers, judges, psychologists, nurses, educators, and other prestigious professionals. Pursuing secondary education is expected in my family, but continuing my education was not the path I chose after high school. Instead I chose to pursue a career in performing arts, which turned out to be a successful and lucrative decision for me. I enjoyed performing tremendously, and still do. However, after I became a mother I realized that I still wanted to fulfill my childhood dreamof becoming an attorney. I knew that I needed to earn my undergraduate degree in order to attend law school, so by the next fall my four-year-old daughter and I relocated to the Midwest where I was enrolled in a private university. I didn’t realize how difficult managing family, finances and schoolwork would be, but I knew that if I focused on my daughter’s well being, and dedicated myself to my goals, I would succeed. My first semester was relatively stress-free because classes were not yet demanding, but everything thereafter completely tested my patience and endurance. Furthermore, I quickly learned that my acceptance as a single parent, in a fundamental Southern Baptist Christian University, would prove to be an insurmountable obstacle