About Me.
My name is Madeline Baker. I am a doctoral student at Azusa Pacific University. I am asking you to be a part of a study I am conducting in order to bring a greater awareness of the experiences of single mother students in four-year degree programs. I want to hold space for you to share your stories because I believe they are both important and underrepresented. I was a single mother student for a couple of years for a couple of years and I would love to offer a sense of community to you through this process.
Background
Being a Student
Education
I have earned a bachelor's degree in English Education, a master's in English Literature, and I am working on my doctoral degree in Higher Education Leadership currently. I grew up in a low income household and completed my first degree by the grace of Pell Grants.
Single Motherhood
Personal Life
After my first husband and I parted ways, I found myself a single parent with two daughters trying to earn a degree. This specific situation changed a lot of my perspective about higher education, support, and about the resilience of single mothers in school. I want to learn more about the experiences of other single mother students because I think their voices are important but aren't often heard.
Beliefs
Ethics
I think that single mother students have been marginalized and invisibilized throughout history for a number of reasons, none of which are valid. I think that it is important to hold space for the voices of single mother students and to value their contributions, ideas, and experiences. There is power in your story, I want to hear it.