Matt Gray Columnist

Life recently became a little easier for some students working to both pass their classes and raise their children. Kidz Korner, a $2,000 project funded by the office of dean of students, provides an area where UA students with children can bring them to play. Their children can play while the parents supervise and study. By all accounts, this is only a small step toward meeting the needs of UA student-parents, but hopefully it is a sign of greater things to come.

Some suggest university money shouldn't be paying for child care, this program is an example of the UA working to make sure its doors are open to everyone. Education, especially public education, is the cornerstone of the American dream. A nation that provides real educational opportunities for every one of its citizens and allows each person to command his (or her) own destiny, not be shackled to circumstances of his birth. The key term is real educational opportunity, and that is something that looks different for each of us. For some, the road through higher education is relatively easy; for others it is much more difficult.

Recognizing this, the UA has programs designed to make academic success a manageable option for those facing the greatest challenges. Students from low-income families can receive extra scholarships and other financial aid. Students with disabilities gain invaluable assistance from the Disability Resource Center, which works to ensure these students can be full participants in the university community. In the same way, the new Kidz Korner (and hopefully many more programs to come) helps student-parents succeed in their quest to succeed in both of their roles.

Make no mistake about it. These individuals face no easy task. Attempting to earn a degree while raising a child drains parents intellectually, emotionally and financially. Stephanie Rowland, a second-year law student, explains, "The hardest aspect of being a parent and a student is the time necessary for both. There have been many times when I have had to put off doing something that my son wants to do (riding bikes, etc.) because I have to study and vice versa." Another second-year law student has two children, David Blackett, and faces a similar situation: "Fin and Asher cry some days when I leave, and Fin begs me the night before a school night not to go in the morning."

Yet despite the challenge, many student-parents also relish the role. Blackett explains, "Children take you out of the microcosm of school. They remind you that other things are important." Rowland adds, "I think that I am a good role model for my son. He is of the age where he understands what I am trying to do and why it is important."

Kidz Korner is an important first step toward giving student-parents their proper amount of respect and recognition, but there is much more to be done. Increasing the availability of timesaving options such as Internet classes and flexible scheduling can help student-parents tackle both of their roles. This semester Rowland doesn't have class on Fridays, which allows her to volunteer at her son's school.

But more importantly, the UA needs an on-campus daycare facility. We are the only Pacific 10 conference school without one. True, building one might cost more than the $2,000 spent on Kidz Korner, but it could also save many student-parents' time and money.

Of course, nothing the university can do will make learning and parenting at the same time an easy proposition. In the same way, attending class in a wheelchair doesn't become a simple task the moment ramps are added, and a partial scholarship doesn't make college a breeze for students below the poverty line. However, all of these measures show the community that the UA wants students from all different backgrounds to be able to succeed.

While most UA students don't have children, more than 80 percent will before their lives are over. When that time comes, the daily struggles and rewards of parenting will become much easier to understand. In the meantime, the entire UA community should pull together to support those who are already raising the next generation of Wildcats.

Matt Gray is a second-year law student. He can be reached at letters@wildcat.arizona.edu.