College Student Shares Story of Teacher Helping Her Balance School and Motherhood

Abortion advocates often argue that it is best for women in college to seek abortions if they want to be successful in school. A student and her professor at Lander University in South Carolina are proving that it's possible for women to be both good mothers and successful students at the same time.

Sarah Thompson shared photos of her professor on her Instagram page, who was teaching class while holding her son. Dr. Josie Ryan volunteered to do this so Thompson's arms would be free to write notes.

“She knows I worked and continued school at USC while pregnant this past semester,” Thompson wrote. “I started her class the week before I had my son in August and started attending her class again the week after I had him. She knew I’d be overwhelmed so literally begged me to bring Isaiah to class and even showed me where the breastfeeding room in the health center was at Lander University.”

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“This is my Math professor Dr. Josie Ryan with my son; she’s amazing. She knows I worked and continued school at USC while pregnant this past semester. I started her class the week before I had my son in August and started attending her class again the week after I had him. She knew I’d be overwhelmed so literally begged me to bring Isaiah to class and even showed me where the breastfeeding room in the health center was at Lander University. It’s so reassuring to know there are professors out there like this. Not only is she an amazing person, she’s also one of the best math professors I’ve ever had. She’s brilliant really, wacky and the best kind of nerdy.. the kind I can relate to lol. But hey! Maybe the world needs more of these teachers! Hopefully this post will encourage other educators or moms or pregnant/working women who are students to ask for help. She’s encouraged me constantly and I’ve brought him to our Real Analysis class multiple times now. He’ll cut the cheese and make the class giggle from time to time but we still get down to some serious math in there. I am in a perfect world when I am learning math in college with my baby right next to me or in my teachers arms. She taught like this; holding him the whole first class I brought him to.” Credit: Sarah Thompson

A post shared by Oregon Right to Life (@oregonrighttolife) on Mar 9, 2020 at 7:10pm PDT

Thompson hopes that her story will inspire other women struggling with the commitments of school, work, and parenthood to seek the help of others willing to take the extra step to make sure they succeed.

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