ktmeng/mec huggingface dataset:
Topic: family

Society is affected as a whole when children are not vaccinated. Due to the significant increase in infectious disease rates in California, the legislature intervened to stop parents from citing personal or religious beliefs to avoid vaccinating their children (Law to prevent). Particularly, California state officials removed the ability of parents to cite personal belief as a reason for exempting their children from vaccine requirements (Texas minimum). However, the trend toward mandatory vaccinations of children is not consistent throughout the United States. For example, in Rockland County, New York, a judge lifted a ban on unvaccinated children. The ban prohibited unvaccinated children from going out in public places for 30 days (Judge lifts ban). Not everyone agreed, however, with the judge’s decision to lift the ban. Rockland County executive Ed Day said, he feared for the well-being of pregnant women and children because they would be put at risk and could suffer life-threatening complications (Judge lifts ban).”
Topic: family

This debate, going on throughout the United States as well as in many other parts of the world, is not over. In spite of this ongoing debate, scientific evidence overwhelmingly supports the proposition that parents should vaccinate their children. Simply stated, there is no scientifically established causal connection between childhood vaccinations causing autism or any other debilitating disease or permanent condition. While philosophical and religious concerns are important, the permanent and serious consequences of not being vaccinated are often irreversible. We should also not forget who is really getting hurt by decisions not to vaccinate? The children; they are the true victims here. Finally, society as a whole is affected when a child is not vaccinated. It is the public’s right to be healthy and it outweighs individual rights asserted against vaccination.
Topic: family

Can you imagine walking into your child’s classroom and his or her teacher looking more like a student than a teacher? Just as the rest of the world is becoming more laid back, so are the standards for the way teachers present themselves. Years ago, when you walked into a classroom, the teacher looked as if he or she were dressed in a professional manner and were neat and clean. Now, due to the fact that teachers are not presenting themselves in a professional manner with regard to clothing and hairstyles, and cell phone use students are not taking them as seriously.
Topic: family

This new trend is becoming more popular with schools and is going beyond just the students. Especially in districts where there is a dress code for students and not for employees this will lead to student rebelling against the dress codes that are in place. This is primarily due to the fact that many students will feel as if why should they have to dress a certain way when the staff can dress in street clothes. The rules that are implemented at Alleghany Highlands Public Schools (8/21/2003) state “dress should reflect the professional position of the employee.
Topic: family

Although opinions are different, the general consensus is that teachers should not be wearing things such as belly shirts, jeans, flip flops, and t-shirts to work. This should be left for the students. Rather they should be wearing a more professional and mature type of clothing, such as dress pants and a button up shirt or a skirt that is of an appropriate length. As described by Beth Lewis teachers should wear clothing that is loose fitting and well-tailored, not too much make-up, comfortable shoes, and not too much jewelry. This can still leave many options open for each individual to express their own styles while still looking as if they are in a position that they will be respected among staff and students alike.
Topic: family

The teacher is not only there to help children throughout their learning years, but they are also there to listen and be someone that children look up to. Children are always taking in everything around them. If their teacher is dressing in a manner that looks like they are going for a day out with their family, partying with friends, or even working at part time jobs that are less than upholding the professional statute of a teacher this can become very distracting for the students. It can also allow for the students to not see the teacher as a person that they have to take seriously. Parents also have certain expectations of the learning environment that their children will be in, whether it be public or private schooling.
Topic: family

The teacher needs to be a person that a child can feel a sense of security when they are in their care; also the children must know the teacher is a person with authority. This allows for an environment that children will be able to learn more easily in. If the teacher is presenting themselves in the workplace in a manner that is not professional, then they are not setting a good example as to how adults should behave and what it is like to be a mature adult. Rather they are allowing the child to see them as someone who is caught in the middle of child and adulthood. As is the same in any profession a teacher’s presentation of themselves also goes above and beyond just clothing. A teacher is expecting to have good hygiene, and look “put together.” There is also the matter of make-up and hair styles.
Topic: family

It is hard to take someone seriously if they walk into a professional environment with multicolored hair and makeup. Some teachers now are entering the classroom with blue, pink, and green hair all on the same day. There are also teachers that do not use conservative measures when doing their makeup before going to work. If you were in a classroom, and the teacher walked in and looked like they had slept in their car all night or had different wild hair colors and extravagant makeup, would you take them as a person who knows what they are doing and is good at their job? Or would they be perceived as a person who should be a student in the classroom rather than teaching it. Although they may be well educated, the appearance is often the first thing that you will remember. The teacher will most likely have issues from both students and other faculty members, due to the fact that there are certain expectations of a teacher. Faculty, students and even parents will be more likely to put said teacher in a position that could even come across as bullying, or making them feel uncomfortable in the workplace.
Topic: family

Many times this can lead to harassment charges or worse. This will ultimately become a never ending battle for the teacher due to the fact that they want to stand out, rather than fit in with the conformity and societal expectations of a teacher. This is the same for children. Although they are young, they still make first impressions of people, and within that first five minutes they decide how they can behave and what they think they will be able to get away with. If the teacher is well dressed and appears to be neat and clean they will be more likely to gain the respect of the class and also be more able to show authority when disciplining students. Although teachers should have the ability to dye their hair it should be kept to natural looking colors.
Topic: family

This will allow students to not become distracted trying to count the number of colors in their teacher’s hair, or why they matched stripes with plaid. There are some things that should be left outside of a learning environment. Also by setting a good example for the student the teacher is teaching them what is expected when they eventually enter the workplace whether it be professional or not. Another issue that has arose recently is cell phone use in the classroom. Over the past few years with social media sites and texting becoming more and more popular so is the use of cell phone by not only students but teachers. If a teacher is using their cell phone to text, update their Facebook, or even Twitter that is not only proving to be a distraction for the student who are trying to work, but that also risks the teacher breaking confidentiality laws.
Topic: family

In a situation where the teacher is using their personal cell phones during class it allows for the student to feel that they should be able to also. There are a few schools where the teachers even allow the students to use them during class. How can a child get the most out of their schooling if they are too busy texting friends or updating statuses on social media websites? Wouldn’t it be more productive for the teacher to take that time and do the job that they are being paid for? During the time that they are teaching a class they should be doing just that. Not worrying about who is going where over the weekend or what else is going on in their friend’s day. It should be utilized for teaching to the fullest extent of the time they are there, that is why they chose the profession of being a teacher in the first place. In the past there were strict guidelines as to expectations in the workplace.
Topic: family

Recently due to men and woman trying to use freedom of speech and unconformity it is coming to a point where the entire United States is becoming very relaxed as to what will be accepted. Many times this is due to the fact that people are afraid to voice their opinion for fear of repercussions for doing so. On the other hand although freedom of speech and the ability to dress and present one’s self as they would like, there is still a time and place for everything. By accepting a position in a professional environment such as a school the teacher is in turn giving up that privilege for the time that they are at work. That is not to say that they can’t act and dress as they please out of school. Just as a teacher is expected to not use foul language and be buddies with their students they need to do so by presenting themselves as an authorative figure rather than just another fellow student.
Topic: family

There needs to be a separation in order for the learning environment to stay productive. Teachers of today should be worried more about the learning environment they are working in rather than if they look stylish for the students. Their clothing should be of a mature, classy, and professional manner and they should also try to keep hair and makeup to minimal and natural earth tones. This will allow for a productive learning environment for children and also allow for the teacher to be taken seriously by the students and fellow staff members. Dressing and presenting themselves in such a manner will also reduce any questions as to who is in charge of the classroom when another authorative figure walks into the classroom.
Topic: family

Before I walked into the classroom for the first time, my head was filled with questions. The night before I worried about what to wear, when to wake up, when to leave, and what my first day would entail. I was so excited to start my journey as a social studies teacher but had no idea how the day would go. As I walked into the classroom, I saw rows of desks perfectly lined up, facing a white board and a smart board. I scanned the walls and saw posters relating to government and psychology and even a wall displaying Virginia Tech images. I sat down and waited for my cooperating teacher to walk in ten minutes before first period was to start. I read over the bell schedule, checking to see how many classes I would have. When my cooperating teacher walked into the classroom, she greeted me warmly and made me feel more comfortable and confident to begin the day. The students began to fill the room and immediately a young man came up and asked “who are you?”
Topic: family

I found throughout the day that the students were very interested as to why I was in their classroom. My cooperating teacher let me introduce myself in every class and the students were respectful and seemed interested. One of the most interesting parts of the day was seeing the different dynamics between classes. Although the same material is taught in each class, there were differences in the way each class responded and behaved. I had not previously thought about this and was glad that I got to see different behaviors in each class. Classes consisted of taking attendance, going over the homework, and working on a new worksheet or activity. I observed how my cooperating teacher dealt with excessive talking or misbehavior and how she taught the material. I feel that I will approach the material differently, but respect her experience and see how it works in her classroom.
Topic: family

During the planning period I was able to ask various questions about teaching and my cooperating teacher answered each inquiry in depth. She assured me that she started teaching at the same age as me and that although it will be one of my hardest endeavors, it will get easier and be well worth it. Although I was nervous the night before and the morning of my first day, I quickly eased up and felt comfortable being in the classroom. The experience reassured me that this is the profession for me, and that although I have so much to learn, I am excited to begin to tackle the art of teaching.
Topic: family

Growing up with ethnic parents, you get a high level of parental control which included strict parenting, rules, and high expectations. Although they were strict, they were extremely caring, loving, nurturing, supportive and all around the best people. Growing up, I was the youngest and my brother the oldest, we were not necessarily raised the same. I was very protected, whereas my brother had more freedom. I had an earlier curfew, higher expectations in school, driving restrictions (when I got my license), was not allowed to date, etc. This was due to cultural expectations; the boy can have more freedom and the girl is to be protected and kept safe. I evoked many parenting behaviors from them. There were times I was untruthful, which led them to be more authoritarian. There was also a time in my late teen years where I stood up to them and told them they had to give me my freedoms, treat me like they had treated my brother, which made them take a step back and be less involved. My parents were very receptive to me as child, they read me. They knew when I needed more love and when I needed better regulations or rules.
Topic: family

without my parents. My parents raised me to be a self-sufficient, independent, caring and hardworking young women. They disciplined me only when I deserved and stepped out of line, but they loved me through the whole process. There was never a time in my childhood or even now that I do not doubt their love for me. The instilled my core values in life: to be truthful and honest, that every lie has a consequence, to be kind and respectful towards other, hard work pays off and that there is a reason for everything. Without their parenting style I may never of gained those values.
Topic: family

Going back as early as the 1900s divorce was always seen as taboo and it just didn’t happen and this was mostly because one: the couple really loved each other and two: they didn’t want to mentally and emotionally scar their children. According to psychological studies and research on Verywellfamily.com the first year of divorce is always the toughest. During this time the children experience anger, distress, and disbelief and while some may seem to recover others have ongoing and possibly, lifelong problems afterwards.
Topic: family

As said before the stress and impact of divorce is not solely on the kids but it ends up spreading out to other members of the family. In some cases one parent may manipulate the kids into thinking it is the other spouse’s fault and completely alienate them from that spouse’s side of the family. As with the children extended family and friends can also experience anger and confusion (Agweek.com). The trickiest effect that takes place is the decision to take sides and sometimes it is hard to tell which side is right and which is wrong (lifesupportscounseling.com). The biggest problem that comes out of this is a lack of communication on how anyone feels which makes resolving any issues all the more difficult.
Topic: family

In the christian family there is the commonly held belief that they are divorce free but unfortunately that is not the case. The christian family while it does have a lower divorce rate than the world still experiences problems (thegospelcoalition.org). The biggest question that has to be asked regarding this is: what does the Bible say regarding divorce? In Malachi, God makes it very clear that he doesn’t like divore, in fact he hates it. Why? It tarnishes his image because when he created marriage in the garden he meant to be a representation of himself (Ingle, pg. 9). The one verse that gets misquoted so often is in Ephesians where Paul says “Wives submit to your husbands”. This verse right here has been the cause of so many issues regarding a christian marriage. What is not read is what Paul states below that when he says “ Husbands love your wives as Christ loves the Church”. What Paul was saying was that marriage should not only reflect the love of God but also reflect the love that Jesus has for the Church.
Topic: family

In the christian family as well as the world there have been scandals that have involved cheating. In the christian world the biggest scandal to ever come out was when Jimmy Swaggert was caught with a prostitute. At the time he had one of the largest ministries that the world has ever seen. It completely shocked the church world and it struggled to recover from the blow. One of the biggest problems that Jimmy Swaggert faced with running a huge ministry like he did was that he had to deal with a lot of pride. Pride in some ways is good but it is always there ready to hurt you in the place it hurts the most Jimmy Swaggert would give a public confession but he would be caught two more times afterwards.
Topic: family

One of the biggest issues when it comes to divorce is that couples that have been married for years and seem to have the perfect marriage only to suddenly announce that they are separating. Why? As stated in the intro the biggest reason is infidelity which in most cases and even Biblically would stand as grounds for the divorce but why couldn’t there be a way to counsel the couple? The second reason is that there is a falling out in love. The question arises then: Was there ever love in the first place or was it just infatuation that eventually just wore off?
Topic: family

The third reason is that there is no more compatibility and again it must be asked: Was it ever there in the first place? Whatever the reason if the couple can stay together for that long then there must be something that is there to keep the relationship going. If that is the case then why give up? By that reasoning God should have given up a long time ago when things didn’t work out but yet he is still here. Why? Because he is an everlasting God that will always be there and he will never give up.
Topic: family

The lie that is told is that divorce is better but it is always dirty and it is never pretty. There was a movie that came out a few years ago called Courageous. What the film was about was how in gangs that most of the members come from a broken home and how they are raised by one parent and sometimes neither. For these members the only source of family was to be in a gang because none of them ever experienced what it was like to have a family and that is the closest thing that they had to that. Divorce is a disease that needs to be cured and it shouldn’t be seen as the easy way out. There is often bewilderment and confusion on why people act they way they do and more often than not they are the product of divorce.
Topic: family

To the world it just makes sense but Biblically it doesn’t align with what God has commanded to his people. God commands that before any sexual act or living together that the couple should be married and not only that but it must be male and female. Society today has gotten so messed up. The fact that there is now a calling for gay rights and while the Church has seen a resurgence as of late there is still a lot of conflict that is directed at the Church.
Topic: family

The United States of America was founded on Godly principles and throughout history has maintained that integrity. The rise of Divorce in the 1960s was mostly caused by the counterculture that was happening at the time. With the Beatles, the riots, and the ideas that came as a result divorce was only one of many major dilemmas that was faced. Since then it continued to grow with a lot of actors and actresses have been divorced and remarried several times over. Unfortunately it has influenced society in a way that nobody expected and continues to do so. With the new wave of living together the world has never been more confused than it is now.
Topic: family

There was Ten of us in my family. Mom, Dad, My 3 Older brothers, My Older Sister, then me and my 3 younger sisters. We lived in a 3 bedroom duplex with 2 full bathrooms and one half bathroom as with a half back yard. A big kitchen and living room. Me and my siblings had everything we wanted. My mom and dad always made away, what we wanted we got. They gave us money if we wanted it or needed it, they stayed for our sports events when we had them.
Topic: family

There was never a time we went without Lights, food, Water, and cable. Even on Christmas she still managed to make it happen it might not have been a lot but she always did what she could to make her children happy. My mom sacrificed a lot for us. Things were good only when we had did what she had asked us to do. She had her rules and if we did not follow them then it was simple we couldn´t go to games or go to our friends house and we sure couldn´t ask her could we do anything if we didn´t do what she said. We always had to make sure the house was clean , because remind you it was 9 of us all living in a small apartment.
Topic: family

My mom struggled for a long time trying to make sure everything was good. She had many of times where she cried because things were so hard and she fussed and got mad, but she always made a way. I learned a lot in those 5 years, because so much happened and my mom managed to get all of us through that rough patch or time in our life. She showed us a lot. I can truly say that I´m thankful for her because if it was anyone else they would have gave up on all of us a long time ago.
Topic: family

“O Captain! My Captain!” is a poem written by Walt Whitman in 1865. The poem is classified as an elegy because it is a mourning poem that was written in the memory of someone. The poem was written to honor Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States. Walt Whitman was born in 1819 and died in 1892, so he lived through the American Civil War. Being born close to the founding of the country, he knew people that were a part of the American Revolution.
Topic: family

Through this he experienced the unification and division of the United States. Walt Whitman was extremely patriotic and wrote many poems about the prominence of America. He also wrote poems about urging people to fight for what is right. The poem was known as one of the greatest poems written at the time of the Civil War. The main political and social issue during Whitman’s time was slavery and the rights of African Americans. Whitman was self-described as the poet of America and, during the Civil War, the Union.
Topic: family

Fathers know what is best for their child better than the child can comprehend. For example, about five years ago during the summer, my family and I decided to stay at my grandparents lake house in Wisconsin for a week. I loved it there. It was so beautiful. The lake was as calm as laying in bed for a few minutes in the morning before hopping into your day. The trees were as vivid as a bouquet of a thousand different flowers. Before we left, my grandpa dropped off the keys to the lake house. Running late as usual to leave, my father told me to grab the keys and bring them with. About four hours into our drive I realized something. I forgot the keys to the lake house! I fearfully told my dad that I did not have them. Right when I said that my dad turned around and started laughing. “Check your front backpack pocket” he said with a smirk. The keys were right there in my front pocket. My dad knew I would forget the keys so he put them in my backpack without me knowing. My father knows me better than I know myself. I can always depend on him even when it is for something as little as remembering to bring the keys.
Topic: family

Believe it or not, the father isn’t the only person who has to be reliable. In basketball, the captain must always be reliable to his teammates and coaches. Being reliable in basketball means having a humble and modest attitude on the court. A reliable basketball captain does not believe that he or she is better than everyone else, but that he or she is open minded and genuinely caring. A captain must be able to know all his teammates strengths and weaknesses and be able to utilize their strengths on the court. He needs to show his teammates that when they leave their clothes on the locker room floor, that their captain will always clean up after them so the team does not have to run. A captain has many responsibilities. And when your captain puts your needs ahead of his and knows you better then you know yourself, then you can rely on your captain.
Topic: family

Being a role model is sort of implied in the word dad. Especially to children, showing that you really care for them is one of the best things you can give them. To me, my dad is an incredible role model. Of course, my father always tells me how to act in public and communicate with people properly. But unlike most fathers, my dad actually does those things. In everyday life, my dad always acts with proper manners and is always modeling to me how to be genuine and caring to others. To me, being able to actually see my father doing these things is much more valuable than a father who just tells you how to act.
Topic: family

Just like fathers, captains also have the difficult task of not being a dissimulator. Being the captain of your basketball team is more than just a title. The captain has many more responsibilities. One of those responsibilities is being a role model, and not just your typical role model who sits there and acts like they’re better than everyone else, but the role model that actually acts as a leader. But more importantly, the role model who cares for the people around them. The captain never complains to the referee when a call does not go their way because he knows if he does, his teammates will think it is okay to act that way when it is not. A captain never puts his head down after missing a shot, or walk back on defense after missing an easy layup. Being a role model is especially tough in basketball because one must never be a hypocrite. That is not as easy as one thinks. On the court, if the captain yells at his teammates about making their layups or running the plays correctly, and then the captain gets into the game and misses an easy layup or forgets a play, that reflects poorly on him. The captain’s teammates will look down on him and start to lose their trust in him.
Topic: family

Graduating college has tons of benefits outside of a higher income. Those benefits are but not limited to, better health, reduced poverty, and better opportunities for the parents and their children. Using that logic, the United States government should be more willing to encourage and support single mothers to complete college and earn a degree. Instead single-parents are struggling to maintain college because they receive very little support while in school. I am going to explore the reasons as to why single mothers have a challenging time graduating from school, what can be done to fix the problems they are facing, and testimonials from women who have graduated despite being mothers.
Topic: family

Maternity leave is typically unpaid so the lack of money coming in propels mothers to quickly reenter the working world. despite, having to pay for child-care it better for them to go back to work. Companies also are known to lower the mother’s wages if they extend their leave. This is one of the main reasons why companies prefer not to hire mothers. It’s expensive on the company’s behalf because they have to find someone else to do the women jobs while they are gone and even when they come back.
Topic: family

Parenting is one of the most difficult jobs there is. One of the most challenging parts of parenting is time-management, feeling like there is never enough time in the day to do everything to do. These are complaints that come directly from married couples. So, imagine the load single-parents have to take on if two-parent households can’t seem to manage. According to the Kids Count Data Center, in 2016 35 percent of children, roughly 24,267,000, in the United States lived in single-parent households, that is triple the number of single-parent households than in the 1960’s. Of the 24,267,000 children, 85% of the children living within a single-parent household were living with their mother’s. In addition, 40 percent of single mothers live in poverty. Some of the are employed, but they are working jobs that pay low wages that typically lack benefits. A study was conducted in the state of New York where 158 single mothers were surveyed and 100 percent of the mothers the graduated with a bachelor’s degree stopped receiving government benefits because they were able to now afford to live without them whereas only 81 percent with associate degrees receiving using government benefits (Semuels). Obtain a degree is said to be the key to not relying on government benefits, then why is it so hard for single mothers to attend and graduating college? I am going to explore multiple reasons as to why single mothers don’t graduate as often and how federal legislation can be the cause.
Topic: family

It is no secret that they key to obtaining a high paying job in today’s society is a college degree, but single mothers barely have time to fit school into their schedules. In-between working and being the sole caretaker for their children its challenging finding time to fit school into the mix. The Institute for Women’s Policy Research conducted a study where the analyzed how single mothers who are in college spend their time outside of school. In a day, 2 hours are spent of solely taking care of their children, 6 hours are spent watching their children while completing household chores or duties such as cooking or cleaning, 2 hours are spent of doing work around the house. That’s a total of nine hours spent on caring for their children and house, compared to the 2 hours that students without children spend of house work a day. That combined with the lack of sleep, lack of exercise, and lack of a social life causes single-mothers to drop out of college. According to Lindsey Reichlin Cruse, a researcher at IWPR, single mothers in college are doing double and triple duty to make a better life for their families, but too few have the support needed to juggle the competing time demands of college, parenthood, and employment.” To free of some time for single-mothers to attend college child care should be provided by the school. It is very uncommon for college to have child-care centers for students to use, and those schools that do have them have waiting list for their on-campus child-care centers. On average, there are about 80 children on college’s child-care waiting lists. A community college in Rochester, New York called Monroe Community College has on campus child-care for students. Between the years of 2006 and 2014, 30 percent of their students who used the on-campus child-care services were more likely to return polling semesters than the student who did not use on campus child-care.
Topic: family

In addition to time being an issue, the cost to attend college is very expensive. The 2016 census data says that women with a bachelor’s degree earns over 50 of annual income compared to a woman with just a high school diploma (Kim). Continuing to further your education is supposed to be the way to a better life however, welfare reform has caused it to be challenging for single mother to even attend college. In 1996 a law was put into place that created restrictions, such as on time spent at work as well as working restrictions, that recipients had to abide by in order to receive benefits. The initiate was put into place as a way to get people back into the working world. The law is called the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Law but it’s known to the public as welfare reform. Since the law has been put into place single-parent households find it more difficult to receive welfare benefits, some states have even put restrictions on food stamps.
Topic: family

Since the introduction of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Law the percentage of single-parent families to receive government benefits dropped by more than 30 percent (Kruvelis and Reichlin Cruse). Single-parent households sometimes find it to be less a hassle to just not receive benefits despite not even having a job. PRAWOL requires that you work or look for work for a certain number of hours a week in order to receive benefits and in some states going to school counts as working but in some states it doesn’t. So single-mothers who decide to attend college a lot of times miss out on the opportunity of receiving benefits for pursuing something that is supposed to put them in a better financial situation. Prior to PRAWOL 649,000 parents that were enrolled in college received welfare cash assistance; today only about 35,000 parents enrolled in college receive welfare cash assistance (Kruvelis and Reichlin Cruse). The drastic change in numbers is a direct effect of welfare reform. Single-parent households, especially single-mothers, began relying on their social network to get by, exchanging favors for favors (Semuels). Their social network includes family, friends, and peers. Entering black into the working world turn out to actually be more expensive than not having a job. Single-family households are faced with paying for childcare, transportation, different insurances. After paying for said things while receiving government benefits leave single-parents with barely enough to get by so it’s more convenient to not receive government benefits. Even the mothers who have jobs are more inclined to be on the verge of losing their jobs due to missing time at work because of family problems.
Topic: family

A reoccurring dilemma at most single-mother students face is the lack of time spent with their children. Single mothers need ample time to attend classes and study for their classes to be successful in school but that is time that is taken away from their children. One cause of the lack of time spent with their children is the pursuit for a better life. They want to give their kids a certain type of life, typically one that wasn’t given to them, so the sacrifice their time with their kids for a better future.
Topic: family

The modern-day college is still not geared toward parents, especially single-parents. It is still designed for what is known as traditional students, students who are young adults and don’t have any children. Single mothers find it very challenging to finish bachelor’s degree programs within 6 years, bachelor’s programs are usually 4 year sometimes 5 years. Only 4 percent of students with children finish a in 6 years (Freeman). Students can only receive financial aid money for up to 6 years, so after year 6 single-parents must pay for their education out of pocket or they must find other alternatives such as grants, scholarships, or private loans. This causes single-parents to be more likely to enroll in a community college. Community colleges are more appealing because they have 2-year programs, which is not as big of a time commitment. They also have a wider range of evening classes, which is very convenient for the parents that work. Obtaining an associate’s degree is not as substantial for the welfare of a family as having a bachelor’s degree because most jobs requires at least a full undergraduate degree for consideration. The dedication required to fulfill a four- year program is, most often, more notable to an employer because it shows dedication to hard work as well as an ability to commit.
Topic: family

I read a story about a single mother named Brandi Davis, she’s a 35-year-old mother with 5 kids. She relies on government benefits to get by and her social network. With very little education, she has a GED, it is difficult for her to find a job that does not pay low wages. The money she made working was barely enough to get by so she tried enrolling into school. However, with webform reform and time constraints it was very hard for her to find any time to go to school so she enrolled into online classes. working, taking care of her kids, and attending school online was a challenge for Davis and led to her failing 2 semesters which resulted in her dropping out (Freeman). She knows that she needs a better education to make more money to the care of her family but it is unrealistic for her actually attend school and successful with the resources she has now.
Topic: family

Although it seems as if the odds are stacked against single-parents, many do graduate. According to, of single mothers’ graduate college with a bachelor’s degree. Ieshia Champs, is a single mother of 5 form Texas. She dropped out of high school and began working at a call center while building her family. In 2009, she lost her home in a fire, her job, and the father of her children due to cancer. She was going through a very hard time with so much happening back to back, she tried to commit suicide (Champs). Iesha praises her pastor for her change in her life ‘Pastor Louise Holman called me one day and said that God told her to tell me to go back to school and get my GED, because that lawyer I wanted to be, I’ll be it!” Iesha went on to enroll into school to obtain her Ged and she earned it. After her GED, she attended Houston Community College and then Texas Southern University where she graduated from the Thurgood Marshall School of Law this pass May. Her graduation pictures that she took with her kids quickly went viral. “said Ieshia. “I took the pictures with my kids because they helped me through school. They’re graduating too” “They would help me review with flash cards while I cooked. They would sit as a mock jury while I taught them what I learned that day. I would sit in my closet and pray and cry because I was overwhelmed and my oldest son, David, would gather his siblings, give them a snack, make them take a bath, gather their school clothes, all to make things easier for me. And I had no knowledge of him doing that until I went to do it!” In her interview she talks about how she afforded college with grants, loans, and multiple part time jobs. She also mentions how much she wanted to give but the outcome would be much greater than her struggle. “I see a woman who at one time knew that the odds were against her. Looking at that picture reminds me of the fact that I didn’t just defy the odds, me and my children destroyed them” (Champs).
Topic: family

Another mother who struggled in law school is 24-year-old Briana Williams. A photo of her also went viral this year. It was a picture of her in her hospital taking a final exam as she was in labor. She jumped right back into the working world just 3 weeks after giving birth to her daughter, Evelyn (Williams, Single mom’s inspiring post about graduating from Harvard Law goes viral). “To say that my last year of law school, with a newborn, and as a single mom was a challenge would be an understatement,” she wrote “some days I was so mentally and emotionally fatigued that I did not leave my bed. I struggled with reliable childcare. It was not atypical to see me rushing through Wasserstein to the Dean of Students’ office with Evelyn in her carriage, asking DOS can they keep her for a few until class was over. If not, she’d just have to come with me to class. Evie attended classes often.” She now is studying to take the bar exam and has a job already lined up at a big law firm in Los Angeles, California. Both mothers have stories of how the sugared while in school and faced the same problems I mentioned above but they persevered through and wants to be an inspiration for mothers that they can too, do the same (Williams, Single mom’s inspiring post about graduating from Harvard Law goes viral).
Topic: family

In conclusion, given that graduating college is directly correlated to higher income, better health, reduced poverty, and better opportunities for parents and their offspring, the encouragement and promotion of completing college for single mothers should be a more of a priority. To achieve this colleges can implement programs to encourage and support single mother during their tenure in college. Programs such as on campus child-care, coaching, scholarships, and support from their peers are just a couple. The federal government received more money for child-care subsidies, through the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, the Child Care and Development Block Grant program has since then doubled in funding, which means States can now give student parents more money for child-care. Policy makers and make small changes to policies that changes the work hour requirements so that it’ll be easier for single mothers. Also, colleges can create spaces where students can leave their kids to lessen the burden. There should be a federal grant of scholarship solely for single mothers to lessen the financial burden on the as well. Investing into these women dreams the United States can improves its college graduation rates, especially since women graduate at higher rates than men, which in return will improve single mother lives, their children lives, and therein communities as well.
Topic: family

My father’s family roots are traced back to the United Kingdom and South Africa. When my family left Europe to come to America they all experienced different things. My families immigration ranges from the early 1600s to the late 1990s. In the year 1905, Christian Moe, my great great grandpa, set off to America in search of new opportunities leaving behind his parents and his three brothers. He left Little Hamer, Norway at eighteen years old and entered into the United States through Ellis Island.
Topic: family

Before immigrants came through Ellis Island they came in to the United States through Castle Garden immigration station until it was closed in 1890. WIth the change in station locations also came change in legislative framework to process immigrants and keep out the “undesirable element”. “The law placed immigration at all ports of entry entirely under federal control. It required steamship companies to transport, at the company’s expense, any immigrants rejected by the U.S. immigration authorities back to their country of origin. It added to the list of excluded aliens ‘persons suffering from loathsome or dangerous contagious disease’” (Merrick and Houghton 15).
Topic: family

When Christian immigrated he had no problem entering the United States, he was a strong and healthy young man who’s ethnicity was not considered to be “undesirable”. When his family arrived they were not looked down upon because of their ethnicity but because of Ole’s condition. Uncle Ole had polio and could not walk well without the use of a cane. To enter into the country you had to go through different tests to see if you were fit to be here. One of the tests that Ole had to go through was that he had to show that he could enter into the country on his own. Back home in Norway he worked as an acrobat so he had very good upper body strength. He was able to enter into the country on his hands and knees using mostly his upper body strength. If Ole had been one of the “undesirable” immigrants he might have been turned away and told that he wasn’t fit because he couldn’t use his legs as well. He was lucky that he came from a Scandinavian country and that he had a steady job back home which showed that he could work here even with his condition.
Topic: family

Once immigrants entered into the country they often faced the hardest part of their move. Immigrants of all origins faced hostility and discrimination as they tried to build their new lives. Races are socially constructed with societies drawing and redrawing the boundaries. The definition of who is “white” and accepted into society has been constantly changing. Scandinavians were looked at as white but people from Slovak countries weren’t even though they had the same skin color. Even with my family having less problems with the discrimination they still went through periods of confusion with their identity. “Many immigrants reacted to the anxieties of their new life by seeking comfort in their cultural traditions. They joined ethnic organizations, read foreign-language newspapers, and did not stray far from their neighborhoods” (Merrick and Houghton 35).
Topic: family

One way that my family kept their Norwegian heritage while still assimilating into American society was by being part of ethnic organizations. Christian Moe was a proud member of the Sons of Norway. Sons of Norway was founded in 1895 to protect Norwegian families during hardships. It was also a way for members to stay close with people of the same background as themselves. Assimilating to American society while keeping your background was hard for many immigrants to do. Two Norwegian American writers, Anges and Rolvaag, strongly opposed the idea of the melting pot and argued for perpetuation of their culture. Waldemer Anges said that “the self-designated American himself does not wish to mingle with the foreigners. He doesn’t wish to assimilate with them or to absorb in himself the Russian, the pole, or the Jew, but he wants these people to intermingle their traits with each other . From an ‘American’ point of view, the melting pot is… not for ‘Americans.’ it is its function to denationalize those who are not of English decent.” (Naess 3)
Topic: family

My family remained strong in keeping their identity. “The most prominent of the characteristics of the Viking was his strong individuality. His love for freedom, his desire for personal independence, amounted to a passion (Nelson pg. 19) Living with other Norwegians in Wisconsin helped strengthen my families individuality. My family was very thankful for their new opportunity and so proud to be living in the United States. Over the years our Norwegian identity died out but not because we felt discriminated or disadvantaged. Some immigrants of other ethnic backgrounds felt disadvantaged and changed their names and backgrounds to fit in better.
Topic: family

When I spoke to my grandma about her Norwegian heritage she said, “My grandfather was always very proud of his Norwegian heritage and kept it alive in his own life by being part of organizations like the Norwegian mens choir and having many Norwegian friends. My grandmother was a proud New Englander and felt like she was above other immigrants. She was disconnected from my grandfather’s heritage and sadly my father and his siblings grew up with little connection to their Norwegian background. They knew their family history but did not practice things part of Norwegian culture and could not speak the language.” When my grandmother Carole was growing up she was proud to have Norwegian background but she didn’t call herself Norwegian American. She identified herself as American and practiced very little Nordic traditions. Every year they would have family reunions and eat Norwegian food but the other 364 days she did not think much about her norwegian heritage. The marriage between Christian Moe and Edith Chase is what caused the loss of our Norwegian connection.
Topic: family

In 1911 Christian and his family moved to Washington and in that same year he was married to Edith Idyll Chase. She was born in Maine in 1877 to parents Stephen Chase and Flora Eva (Merchant) Chase. Her father, Stephen, was born in 1851 also in Maine. He worked as a fisherman and fish dealer. He was one of the eleven wholesale fish dealers that met in Boston and founded the New England Fish Company (NEFCO).