Meet our Scholars

Meet Lori Barr

I will always remember, with great fondness, my graduation from Loyola Marymount University in the spring of 1996. I finished my coursework in December of 1995, and began working immediately. Anthony was turning 4 that March and I was extremely excited that we might have an opportunity to move out of my parent’s house and I would begin my life as a “real” adult. Everything was falling in to place. And, in all of the plans I made; career, housing, purchasing a car, the most important to me was my graduation day in May. It was a priority for Anthony and me to attend. I wanted to make sure he heard my name called, saw me cross the stage, and celebrated this as his accomplishment, too.. He was still very young, but I knew the experience would leave a blueprint for him to follow as he grew up.

When you are a student with a dependent, your achievements are as much your child’s as they are your own. The time away from your child is a major sacrifice. But, accepting the feelings of guilt, and dealing with the loss of missed time, a student with a dependent persists because she knows it is a means to an end. Graduating with a post-secondary degree comes with a price, but the future opportunity that is created with that degree is worth it. Experiencing the culmination of all that time and hard work is an outward demonstration of determination, fortitude, and commitment. That is something worth celebrating.

- Lori Barr