A Never Ending Journey Towards Balance: Being a Mom in the World of Academia

Reflection And Identity

I sat in the parking lot and punched the word “Walgreens” into my phone’s Google maps app. My electric breast pump wasn’t working and I needed to figure out a solution before my next class. It was my first semester in my doctoral program and I was new to the city and wasn’t sure where to find a store to buy a manual breast pump. I started my program with a three-year-old and a three-month-old. I had always known I wanted to get my PhD and have kids. I wanted to complete my degree before my kids were old enough to be entirely involved in school and extracurriculars because I didn’t want to miss any of their school experiences. And, because I wanted to be a teacher educator, it was essential that I spend a few years in the public school classroom before starting my doctoral program. So, here I was. In my early 30’s with two kids and pursuing my dream. And planning my dream around breast pumping. I did find the Walgreens and made it back to campus in time for my class. But this harried afternoon perfectly portrays the crazy juggling yet incredibly gratifying experience of getting my PhD while being a mom.