When It's All Too Much: Student Mother Veterans' Struggles in Higher Education

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 2
  In Roundtable Session: Race, Gender, and Sexuality in Public Education

Abstract

This study explores the civilian transition experiences of student mother veterans and illuminates the cultural/ideological aspects of their struggles pursuing higher education. Thriving in the military meant giving 110% and putting others first; embodying such military ethos was imperative to the survival of servicewomen, working extremely hard to earn due recognition and respect. However, the military ethos and dispositions implemented in the civilian world of higher education evoked frustration and feelings of guilt in mother veterans, leading them to ultimately sacrifice their education for the families. The findings highlight how these women grappled with the multiple identities of being mothers, soldiers, and students given an impossible mission between two powerful social/cultural institutions, the military and higher education.

Authors

• Jae Hoon Lim, University of North Carolina - Charlotte

• Rachel Saunders, University of North Carolina - Charlotte

• Claudia G Interiano, University of Texas at San Antonio

• Madison Elizabeth Levan, University of North Carolina - Charlotte