‘1 in 5’ Episode 10: Meet Lorena Barton
April 19, 2021 | Aspen Postsecondary Success for Parents, Press Releases
Lorena is a single mother in the process of rebuilding her life. Though it has been challenging, she wouldn’t change a thing. Being a mother has not only been her greatest joy, but it has allowed her to find her vocation and pursue her lifelong love of health and science.
Lorena Barton is a single mother and a recent graduate of Los Angeles Valley College. Lorena is passionate about helping families and has plans to work in public health nursing.
After studying full-time for over a year at LAVC, she has recently begun her nursing program at Loma Linda University. She currently attends school full-time while working part-time at LAVC’s Family Resource Center. She finds it enriching and rewarding to be able to help other student parents at the same place where she herself received so much support.
Lorena says, “When you’re following your dreams, there is a drive inside of you that allows you to push hard and accomplish whatever’s needed to reach your goals.”
Listen
You can read the episode transcript here.
Resources
LAVC Family Resource Center strives to advance social and economic mobility by reducing barriers to higher education and jobs through integrating support services for underserved populations.
CalWORKs is a public assistance program that provides cash aid and services to eligible families that have a child(ren) in the home. The program serves all 58 counties in the state and is operated locally by county welfare departments.
Postsecondary Success for Parents, the PSP initiative, is a partnership between Ascend at the Aspen Institute and Imaginable Futures.
Student Parent Stories
Related Posts
We’ve selected four projects from the 2021 Class of Fellows that show impressive potential in both their scope and capacity to address timely issues.
In an Inside Higher Ed article, David Croom and Generation Hope provide important perspective into why the student parent population is important for higher education institutions to prioritize.
Today, Ascend at the Aspen Institute (Ascend) released the second season of “1 in 5,” its highly rated podcast that explores the multifaceted lives of the one in five college students raising children.
Growing up, Isis Patterson and her family were constantly operating in survival mode. School offered her the safety and security she lacked at home, so she took a liking to it. When she found out she was pregnant at 15, she kept herself immersed in her schoolwork, graduated with honors, and received a full-ride scholarship …
‘1 in 5’ Season 2 Episode 10: Meet Isis Patterson Read More »
As a child of immigrants, Lourdes saw the efforts her hard-working parents made to give her a memorable childhood, and how they always stressed the importance of education. Then, in high school, Lourdes became pregnant and the birth of her daughter inspired her aspirations for higher education, leading her to a career in nursing. As …
Nicole Alkire always excelled in athletics and academics at Standing Rock High School in North Dakota. But being a survivor of childhood sexual abuse meant Nicole turned to dating, and eventually alcohol, to cope with the trauma. In high school, she became a mother and worked hard to graduate – leaning on the support of …
‘1 in 5’ Season 2 Episode 8: Meet Nicole Alkire Grady Read More »
Today, Nicole Lynn Lewis is an accomplished author, CEO of Generation Hope, and mother of five. But she didn’t always feel a sense of stability and pride. When she arrived on campus with her three-month old daughter, she instantly felt out of place and didn’t know who to turn to for help. Her feelings of …
‘1 in 5’ Season 2 Episode 7: Learn About Generation Hope Read More »
Today, Ascend at the Aspen Institute (Ascend) released the second season of “1 in 5,” its highly rated podcast that explores the multifaceted lives of the one in five college students raising children.
Dominique Baker married her high school sweetheart and planned to pursue a degree in social work, but her first semester in college proved to be both financially and mentally exhausting. As her family grew and Dominique took stock of the things she wanted for herself and her two children, she made the decision to leave …
‘1 in 5’ Season 2 Episode 6: Meet Dominique Baker Read More »
Today, Ascend at the Aspen Institute announced that eight Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) have joined its Black and Native Family Futures Fund.
Yolanda Johnson-Peterkin was taught to always take care of those around her, but didn’t always see education as a way of doing so After dropping out of school and later finding herself incarcerated and pregnant, Yolanda became determined to change the course of her life. Once she was released, Yolanda focused on establishing a relationship …
‘1 in 5’ Season 2 Episode 5: Meet Yolanda Johnson-Peterkin Read More »
Drayton Jackson experienced homelessness for almost 20 years. Today, Drayton utilizes his lived experience to advocate for others in a similar position—but it wasn’t always easy adjusting to having a seat at the table. Drayton, now the father of eight, is setting boundaries and goals for himself to achieve a healthy work-life balance. Along with …
‘1 in 5’ Season 2 Episode 4: Catching up with Drayton Jackson Read More »
Soren’s interest in higher education has always been rooted in an interest in the environment, even from childhood. As an adult, after struggling with their own mental health, Soren became interested in psychology, and pursued jobs in the medical field, but was soon discouraged by the for-profit medical system. Soren went through challenging transitions in …
Ignacio Angel has decided to define for himself what success looks like as a college student and father of four. The for-profit trade school he went to, which was later investigated for preying on vulnerable students, never delivered on promises of a job, and landed him in debt. With Lilly’s help, he found a support …
Dr. Daria Willis brings her extensive education and her own experience as a student parent to her role as president of Howard Community College in Columbia, Maryland. Daria had her daughter, Lyric, during her first year in college. She shares how keenly she felt the social stigma of being a single parent. It took a …
Featured from the Ascend Community