Every week, Taeja Tisalona, a mother to a 5-year-old boy and UH Mānoa undergraduate student, sheds light on the importance of creating a supportive community for other student parents.
In the midst of campus life, Tisalona organized “Casual Conversations with Taeja,” to provide a crucial platform for discussing challenges and ways to deal with juggling academic life and parenthood.
Tisalona plans to graduate this December with her bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies and is currently interning with the Family Hui, a bi-generational program to support and empower families to meet the challenges of raising children.
“Thankfully, since I’m a student, we’re able to get like, priority within the childcare centers, within the UH system,” said Tisalona. “If you reach out to resources like child care connections, they were able to help me.”
The Tuesday event was held at 10 a.m. at The Queen Lili‘uokalani Center for Student Services, welcoming two student-parents with free coffee and breakfast sandwiches. The event transformed an often isolating and underserved demographic of students into a vibrant dialogue about balancing responsibilities and building a strong community.
The goal of the Casual Conversation events is, “just to connect parents, students, other student parents, to come together, share our stories,” said Tisalona. “We all go through the same thing, and just being able to connect and meet new friends, meet new student parents along the way.”
Student parents and coordinators openly discussed their experiences, including sleep schedules and how they affect both their and their child’s day-to-day living.
Participants shared personal strategies for establishing consistent bedtime routines, emphasizing how a good night’s sleep can lead to more productive days, both academically and at home.
For example, one alumni parent described how she established a “magic bubble” to help her child fall asleep at a reasonable time without the worry of having nightmares and anxiety. Strategies like this gave other student-parents some ideas on how they can balance their own obligations and parenting duties while also highlighting the importance of restful nights.
Angie Solomon, the coordinator of the Student Parents at Mānoa (SPAM) program, provided further insights into the resources available for student parents at UH Mānoa. Solomon emphasized the importance of SPAM in fostering a supportive environment tailored to the unique challenges these students face.
“Opportunity for them to come together and to maybe make friendships with other student parents on campus, as well as getting support with parenting challenges they may encounter or face,” added Solomon.
Solomon expressed her hope that student parents at UH Mānoa will feel more comfortable and supported throughout their academic journeys.
“It’s important for them to know that they’re not alone,” she said, emphasizing the role of SPAM in fostering a sense of belonging.
Solomon encouraged student parents to take advantage of the resources available to them, stating, “Come sit down for an hour, grab a coffee, have something to eat, and just, let’s just talk story. Whatever worries you have, maybe we can alleviate some of those.”
Casual Conversations with Taeja happens every Tuesday of the week from 10 to 11 a.m. at the QLCSS and welcomes all student-parents to join.
“Come when you can leave when you need,” added Solomon.
