Taunya Owens works on her senior design project, a micro-combined heat and power unit, with Derek Robson (right) and Calin Rhymer. (Image courtesy of Oakland University.)
According to the American Council of Higher Education, single parents make up about 15 percent of the college student population. This is a number that has been growing steadily since 1995.
To that end, a new scholarship at Oakland University is dedicated to helping single parent students in the School of Engineering and Computer Science (SECS) to pursue their education.
The scholarship was established by current engineering student Taunya Owens, who is familiar with the struggle of balancing school and a career while raising a child as a single parent.
Owens has had to juggle her career at Delphi Automotive, her electrical engineering studies and leading her 18-member student design team. When she isn’t focused on her career or schoolwork, Owens is at home taking care of her daughter.
Owens’ job at Delphi pays well and is a promising career track, but her situation wasn’t always so secure. She has juggled work and school, lived paycheck to paycheck and skipped class in order to attend her daughter’s parent-teacher conferences.
These experiences inspired Owens to donate $3,000 to the Oakland University SECS as a scholarship specifically dedicated to single parent engineering students.
“I created this scholarship because I know what it’s like and I’ve made a great career for myself now. I’ve hopefully gotten through the rough stuff and I want to help someone else who might be at the point where any little bit helps. A small act of kindness might make the difference,” said Owens.
“There have been many challenges, but I am in the home stretch,” Owens continued. “Higher education opens the door to better-paying jobs and more financial stability for single parents. If this scholarship gets someone [one class closer] to graduating, then it was worth it.”
“This type of scholarship may be the reason single parents will be able to attend Oakland University and transform their lives,” said Dean Louay Chamra in acknowledgement of Owens’ generosity.
The School of Engineering and Computer Science Single Parent Scholarship is targeted toward single parents who are pursuing an engineering degree and is open to both incoming and current students.
Applicants may be male or female, enrolled full-time or part-time and must have at least one dependent child living in the household.
For more information, visit Oakland University’s scholarship page.