‘1 in 5’ Season 2 Episode 1: Meet Daria Willis
Daria Willis | December 1, 2022 | Aspen Postsecondary Success for Parents
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 perceptive administrator to notice that she needed help with childcare, and thanks to the continued support of those around her, Daria graduated and went on to pursue both a master’s degree and a doctorate.
Daria became a leader in the world of higher education, and in 2021, the Aspen Institute named Dr. Daria Willis an Ascend Fellow, recognizing her work and dedication to empowering children and families across the country.
Reporter Sophia Fox-Sowell brings us her story.
Listen
You can read the episode transcript here.
Resources
Project Self Sufficiency is a resource for low-income, single parent families, which aims to achieve economic independence through higher education. They offer an array of support with adult education, including scholarships, child care assistance, and financial assistance such as money for textbooks.
ECMC Foundation’s Single Mother Student Success Initiative is a $10 million effort to increase associate degree attainment rates among single mother students.
Child Care Access Means Parents in School Program supports the participation of low-income parents in postsecondary education through the provision of campus-based child care services.
Student Parent Stories
Related Posts
What does college success look like for Black and Native student parents? This podcast episode sheds light on student parents’ and administrators’ experiences at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, or HBCUs, and Tribal Colleges and Universities, or TCUs.
Ascend at the Aspen Institute is excited to announce the launch of the 2023 Parent-Powered Solutions Fund, which will provide financial resources and technical assistance to nonprofit organizations and institutions focused on increasing postsecondary success among parents.
Reflections on the experiences, challenges, and joys that shape the life of student father and Ascend PSP Parent Advisor Christian Ortiz.
Among the one in five postsecondary students who are parents, there are close to 1.1 million student fathers. This chartbook synthesizes the available research on student fathers to help inform the field’s efforts to support the success of all student parents.
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.
On May 9, members of the Ascend team had the opportunity to visit Santa Fe Community College in New Mexico. Here are three takeaways from our site visit.
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 Grady 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 …
‘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.