By Faith Montalvo
TAMPA, Fla. — Last semester, her email pinged with a message about a new group on campus. The marine biology major was walking near the Martinez Athletics Center, and she stopped. Miracle Vetterly, a young student parent who has been attending The University of Tampa for five years, wished it had started years ago. She replied as soon as she saw it and got involved.
The Students Who Are Parents Group was born in February and is still in its infancy, with a few active students who receive a monthly email. Since then, the group has held three events, including a clothing drive and swap, and a trip to the Manatee Viewing Center, where students spoke about financial aid while their daughters played.
September has been National Student Parent Month since 2022. In the United States, one in five college students is raising children while enrolled, and they often face challenges from aligning school with their schedule, balancing work and family, and navigating financial aid.
Kathryn Branch, the associate dean of the College of Social Sciences, Mathematics, and Education, said she started the group after wondering why it did not exist. Over the years at UTampa, she’s spoken with veteran students, undergraduates, graduates, and staff who were either parenting or pregnant.
At a private university where pregnancy and parenting do not typically come up in conversations, Branch said many students she spoke with thought they were the only ones.
“I think at least from my perspective,” said Branch. “I’ve seen a big shift once I really started talking, and pushing, and saying we have a group and there are students that could feel supported.”
This semester, Branch sat at a table during Week of Welcome, and the group received a grant from the university to make parenting kits for the students.
“I’ve been here 19 years, and I’ve never seen that,” said Branch.
Vetterly, the marine biology major, has a 5-year-old daughter who loves the environment just as much as her mom. During Vetterly’s first semester at a community college in Pennsylvania, she found out she was pregnant. A year later, she transferred to UTampa. While the majority of her professors have been accommodating, she said the only other resource UTampa had were the eight baby changing stations across campus.
The university also has three lactation rooms on campus that can be found on the campus map, but Vetterly did not know about them.
“I think the biggest resource I’ve had down here has been my church, not really much at UT,” said Vetterly.
Vetterly said she attends a single-parent group at Grace Family Church. She said the support she’s received ranged from help with car maintenance to a Christmas program that allows her daughter to receive gifts from church members.
“It’s made me realize my worth, realize the importance of what I’m doing in raising my daughter,” said Vetterly.
Vetterly said she juggles raising her daughter with in-person school and work. This semester, a required course only had one class available in the afternoon when she would usually work. She was recently denied an internship and has not been given research opportunities.
“It’s hard, it’s not for the faint of heart,” she said. “But my daughter gives me flowers. She gives me cuddles. She gives me hugs. She gives me kisses. She makes me pictures.”
For Mother’s Day, she also gave Vetterly a keychain for her backpack that says, “You Are Brave.”
“While it’s not normal for a lot of our students to come and have families or end up pregnant, it happens,” said Bridgette Shipley, victim advocate at the Office of Student Care and Advocacy at UTampa.
Shipley’s role is to help students who have been victims of crimes ranging from scams and fraud to assault and harassment. She also helps students connect with resources outside the university.
Shipley recently compiled a local resource sheet for parenting and pregnant students at UTampa, even though that’s not completely within her department.
“As a parent myself I couldn’t have imagined being that age and not understanding how to navigate things,” said Shipley. “I had my daughter at 27, and so I was still unprepared.”
To get involved with the UTampa Students Who Are Parents Group, email Kathryn Branch at kbranch@ut.edu. The group is in the process of planning an in-person event and is open to suggestions.
The Title IX Coordinator, Taylor Parker, can be reached by email at tsparker@ut.edu, or by phone at (813) 257-394.
Victim Advocacy Services at UTampa can be reached by email at victimadvocacy@ut.edu, or by the 24/7 UTampa Victim Advocate Hotline at (813) 257-3900.
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A stack of local resources and information about pregnancy, including flyers about students’ rights under Title IX and the UTampa Students Who Are Parenting Group. Photo courtesy of Faith Montalvo.