Soon after Jennifer Shirk enrolled in the University of Michigan’s social work program, she discovered she was pregnant. Waitlisted at her school’s child care facilities, she decided a full-time job as she pursued her educational goals would be the only option to afford private care for her son. Mounting pressures from being a college student, mom, and full-time employee caused Jennifer to struggle with her mental health and eventually withdraw from her program. Now, Jennifer is speaking out about her climb to a higher education.