Roslind Harper
Mother of Seven

  Roslind Harper had one obstacle after another on her journey to become a college mom.

It's no wonder when she finally was victorious and walked across the stage to claim her diploma at the December 15, 2007 graduation ceremonies at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville that her six children stood up and cheered from the audience. She earned two B.A. degrees, a Bachelor's of Science in Nursing and a Bachelor's of Arts in Liberal Studies but her journey to get to the stage was full of bad advice, discouragement and a lack of support from all sides except from her children, who believed in her all along.

Harper turned seventeen in 1984 and had her first child. Three years later she earned her GED and wanted to go to college, but no one at the GED program told her how so Roslind went to the library to find the information herself.  She found the address of a university in Chicago where she was living and marched right off to find out how she could enroll. The official at the university told her, "Why don't you go to a community college?" and did not even take her application.

 Unaware that this was a violation of Title IX and the school's own anti-discrimination policy that protects equal access to education, Harper set off to find a community college.

     

"I had no advice, which put me at a disadvantage," she said.  She took classes at Kennedy King College and finished a two year Associate's degree from North Hennepin Community College in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota outside of Minneapolis.

        Still, Roslind Harper wanted to go further, but it was not until she found Joan Demil at Saint Catherine's College in Minneapolis and joined the Access Success Program that she found someone who supported her and recognized her as the outstanding and motivated student she was. Roslind worked full time, cared for her children, and attended classes full time. She admits that on campus family housing would have helped but Roslind preservered despite horrendous obstacles.

She now hopes to attend the University of Cincinnati's graduate program and become a nurse practioner, helping young moms to get medical care. One thing for sure is that she will also be an advocate for equal access to education for young moms. Had we been in the audience on December 15 we would have cheered "Bravo" and given Roslind Harper, College Mom extraordinaire, a standing ovation.

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