(Delaware and Chester Counties, PA)—Community college students juggle a lot, often pairing college studies with full-time or part-time jobs. Those who are parenting children or teens at home can find the balancing act particularly challenging. Delaware County Community College addresses the needs of parenting students in a multitude of ways, helping them take advantage of the full college experience and even emerge as campus leaders.

“Being both a college student and a parent is demanding but doable. By being intentional and kind to yourself, you can make it happen,” said Jamie Stokes-Polk, M.Ed., an academic advisor at DCCC. 

Elif Munevver Isman ’26 left her native Turkey to pursue a better education in the U.S. While raising three young children, she never lost sight of her educational dreams. Now, she is thriving as a Computer Science major at DCCC. “As a hesitant mother starting back after many years and a considerable break from education, I chose to enroll at DCCC because the environment is very supportive,” said Isman, whose youngest child was then 13. “The aim of the faculty and staff is to help. From the beginning, I could see it in their eyes.”

DCCC’s programming for parenting students typically includes academic planning, study and time management support, professional headshots for students’ LinkedIn pages and single parenting workshops, like creating vision boards for goalsetting. 

In addition to DCCC support programming, the College also offers the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services program KEYS (Keystone Education Yields Success), designed to help recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) succeed in community college. The program also includes a KEYS student facilitator to help students achieve their individual career goals. 

After Isman earned an A-plus in her first Computer Science class, her professor recommended her for a position as a paid peer tutor, a job that helped connect her to campus life. She has gone on to take JAVA, Cloud Computing and Artificial Intelligence classes. “AI is becoming essential, and my professors have made students aware of the many job opportunities,” Isman said. 

She is a member of Phi Theta Kappa, the international college honor society for two-year colleges, and has published poetry in the College’s literary magazine. Last spring she was invited to be part of a special DCCC Women’s Leadership Panel to share insights about her college journey. She is grateful for the support she has received. “DCCC is like family.”

Shakia Gordon-Hutt ’26 is another student juggling college with parenthood. She is co-executive producer of the College’s New Media Lab—a popular student club—and counts a podcast episode she produced during Black History Month among her proudest accomplishments.She is also vice president of Phi Theta Kappa and an officer for the Food Access and Sharing Club. 

“At first, I didn’t want to engage. I just wanted to finish [my education],” Gordon-Hutt said. “But DCCC had other plans for me. Somewhere along the way, the people, the staff, the students, the programs—they pulled me in. They reminded me what community feels like. I joined organizations, and I reignited my purpose!”

Gordon-Hutt recently joined Pennsylvania State Senator Timothy P. Kearney, Pennsylvania State Representative Heather Boyd and DCCC President Dr. Marta Yera Cronin, as a guest speaker at a special event focused on the role of community colleges in the future of higher education, community leadership and career opportunities. 

Gordon-Hutt shared her personal student story with more than 75 attendees, which included representatives from local employers and organizations. “You’re giving knowledge, skills and opportunities that people take back to their families, communities and cultures,” she said.

DCCC graduate Gwendolyn McCullough ’18 MPS is a single parent who raised her daughter while going to college full-time and working as an intern at a local PA State Representative’s Office. She went on to earn her bachelor’s and master’s degrees and has a thriving career in government, including stints as a constituent relations representative for a PA State Senator’s office and as a chief of staff for a PA State Representative’s office. Awarded the 2019 Alumni Professional Achievement Award at DCCC, she was the College’s Commencement Speaker that year. She attributes her success to her positive start at DCCC and the many helpful staff members who were always available to lend a hand.

“It’s never too late to go after what is meant for you,” said Alaysia Hawkins ’23, a single parent who overcome many obstacles on her path to her DCCC associate degree.

“Being a parent does not make you less of a student. It makes you more resilient, motivated, and focused,” Stokes-Polk said.  

Last spring DCCC hosted a Parenting Students Conversation and Resource Fair which highlighted the College’s resources in both Delaware and Chester Counties for parenting students and plans to continue the resource fair each year. As a community college for two counties in our region, DCCC recognizes the range of circumstances and barriers that our students possess when they enroll in classes. The intention of the College is to alleviate those barriers so that our students can focus on their studies and realize a better future for themselves and their loved ones.