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MSU Students With Children Raise Awareness for their Struggles

Posted: 4:11 PM Apr 14, 2012
Reporter: Hannah Saunders

This was how the 20-30 students parents involved in Student Parents of a Mission reached out to fellow students and professors. They were expecting a crowd of hundreds but when the doors to the Breslin Center opened at 1:00 p.m. they were overwhelmed to find a much larger crowd.

Thousand of people shuffled from station to station to play in the bouncy houses, have some snacks, sing karaoke and even meet some new friends.

Fun was always the goal, but Aerielle Johnson planned it in a way for the attendees to also learn more about her organization Student Parents on a Mission (or S.P.O.M.). She hoped to earn donations for struggling on-campus parents and inspire more student parents to use them as a resource.

"There's a place for them and there are people who want to support them and encourage them to finish their education," said Johnson.

It's the same place that made it possible for Johnson to continue her education when she found out she was pregnant as a Sophomore at MSU.

She chose to give birth to 2-year-old Dorian; taking on the biggest challenge of her life; balancing college with motherhood.

Because of S.P.O.M.'s bi-weekly support group meetings, free dinners, child care services and more, she will be graduating this May. She already has a full-time job lined up as an even coordinator for Marriott International.