Valiant Women: CSM looks to break the poverty cycle, one single mom at a time
- By Deborah Herz and Sandy Goetzinger-Comer -
An estimated 9.7 million single mothers are living in the United States today, according to the 2016 U.S. Census. The poverty rate for single-mother families was 35.6 percent in 2016; 31.6 percent were food insecure.
But Mercy-sponsored colleges are working to change that. This article highlights the Mother’s Living & Learning Program at College of Saint Mary in Omaha, Nebraska—working to empower single mothers to build a better life for themselves and for their families.
The Mercy spirit is alive and well at College of Saint Mary (CSM) in Omaha, Nebraska. CSM is also one of only eight schools in the country to offer family housing. Appropriately named Madonna Hall and built in 2012, the residence features 24-hour security, suite-style rooms and accommodations for 48 women and their children.
“Our program began as a ‘pilot’ in the fall of 2000, yet it became very clear from the beginning that we were filling a need that was serving single mothers in their quest to complete a college education,” stated Tara Knudson Carl, vice president for student development at CSM, who was involved in the program’s development. “This mission-centered program with an annual average of 32 participants has been effective in developing a support system on campus for our single parent students and facilitating their progress,” she added. “The success of the program not only led to the establishment of the new hall in 2012 and additional staffing but also has grown our population of commuter single parents who benefit from our supportive environment and resources.”
Kristine Hain, who is completing her final year of a five-year occupational therapy program, is a single mother of two. Kristine vividly recalls the day she enrolled in CSM’s Mothers Living and Learning program. “I walked into the enrollment counselor’s office, and she held my baby while I filled out the paperwork,” she says.
At 41, Kristine is a non-traditional student. She received her undergraduate degree in theater from Washington State University and worked for the Portland Opera, but when she married and was expecting, Kristine decided to put her career on hold. Though she’d always considered a career as an occupational therapist, her life took a different turn when motherhood called. After her second child was born, it took another turn when she divorced and moved to Omaha.
In 2013, her aunt, a CSM alumna, told Kristine about the Mothers Living and Learning program. When she first inquired, Kristine was pleased to learn that many of her past courses would transfer and she was eligible to enter as a third-year student; but a seat in this highly competitive program wasn’t immediately available. So rather than wait, Kristine decided to start the program as a first-year student. She never looked back.
“The day I signed my enrollment papers I felt terrified and extremely grateful at the same time,” she says. “I could have applied to other programs, but I was convinced that CSM provided a better environment for my children and the demands of juggling classes and motherhood.”
She added, “The College really does live its Mercy mission. They built the program around the idea of helping mothers achieve their goals, but just as importantly, they help us to be string women. We are a community. Everyone is in the same boat and we help each other.”
That help ranges from being available to watch each other’s children to studying together. Her professors are also extremely supportive. “I can tell my professors my child is sick, and they will work with me,” Kristine explains. “Because we live here, they know me; they know my children. They can see me working and trust me to get the work done.”
Kristine believes her life would have been very different if she hadn’t enrolled at CSM. “Honestly, I would have gotten a small apartment and a job. And maybe I would have worked my way up because that’s my work ethic. But I wouldn’t have been happy.”
At CSM, Kristine is a mom first. “I haven’t had to forget about my goals,” she says. “My children see me going after what I want. They also see me fail and get back up and do what I need to do to succeed. I want them to be strong, and they need to see that you can fail and learn from it and do better next time.”
Best of all, the college’s family atmosphere starts with the leadership at the top. Kristine recalls the time she was on her way to dinner with her children running full speed down the hall. They almost collided with Sister Maryanne Stevens, Ph.D., the college’s president.
“Sister Maryanne wasn’t even phased,” Kristine says. “She encouraged their enthusiasm. You don’t expect that from someone in her position.”
Knowing the college’s 100-percent pass-rate on boards, Kristine has a theory as to why College of Saint Mary graduates succeed as well as they do. “The environment helps us feel empowered and provides opportunities for us to become leaders. If you can get people to see their leadership abilities, they never lose their voice. You don’t have to be a president or CEO to be a leader. Here, we have a sense of self-worth that is totally supported.”
With graduation fast approaching in May, Kristine says it will be a bittersweet moment—though sad to leave what has been her home for the past four years, she feels prepared to handle whatever comes her way.
