–DO NOT PUBLISH–

For any traditional student attending Washburn full time, it can be hard to find time to get everything you need done. Between going to class, homework, group projects, work and extracurricular activities it can be difficult to find free time and actually have a social life. For Larissa Morgan, finding this balance is increasingly more difficult as she has to mix in caring for her two children, ages four and six.

Morgan, 26, a nontraditional student and mass media major from Topeka, KS, is the president of the Students with Children organization on campus. Morgan founded the organization her freshman year, but it has since dissolved when the majority of the original members graduated. Students with Children is an organization that has recently been reintroduced as an organization early last semester with the help of Morgan, and treasurer, Jean Oden. 

Oden and Morgan have been diligent in trying to get the word out.

“We take turns hanging up posters around campus,” Oden said.

The organization has also started putting up flyers around Washburn Tech and the Law school to hopefully gain more traction. Along with flyers, Oden stays up to date with the Students with Children Facebook page that has over 100 likes.

Morgan admits that maintaining life as a student while taking care of two kids is very tiring. 

“I wish I could have a younger, traditional college student see my life,” Morgan said. “You think your day is crazy? Mine is four times worse.”

A typical day for Morgan includes waking up at 7 a.m., getting herself ready and her kids, getting her kids on and off the bus, making dinner, putting the kids down for naps and bed and finally going back to bed after finishing homework by around 2 a.m. These tasks sometimes prove to be more difficult as her four-year-old son has autism. 

Morgan admits her hardest challenge as a mother and student is finding a babysitter. Oden and Morgan help with the responsibility of looking after each other’s children.

“Larissa will look after my kids if I need her to while I’m in class and I’ll watch hers while she’s in class.” Oden said. 

Morgan wanted the Washburn community to know that there is an organization that can offer advice for students with children, or students that are expecting.

“I want this to be a support group,” Morgan said. “And if there are expecting mothers, I want them to know that they can come to us because we can help you. We’ve been through that same stage.” 

Morgan and Oden advised students with children to always reach out for advice and use resources that are available.

“Always reach out. There is going to be time you’re going to need to talk to someone, because you don’t want to bottle all of those emotions in,” Morgan said. “There’s always a professor or someone in your life that is willing to talk to you.”