Parents head back to school at HCC Coleman College
Aug 16, 2023
Bryan Easton, a second-year Physical Therapy Assistant student and father of one, studies for an exam.
Children are not the only ones heading back to school this August. Many parents are also packing their backpacks and lunch bags and heading to campus.
Though each has a different story, three parents at Houston Community College-Coleman College for Health Sciences share a common reason to complete their education.
Bryan Easton of Alvin, Texas – Physical Therapy Assistant student
Like his 6-year-old daughter, Bryan Easton of Alvin, Texas, goes to school five days a week. He is a second-year student in the Physical Therapy Assistant program at HCC Coleman College.
Though his days are long, the 26-year-old former grocery store manager stands by his choice to return to school.
“A couple of years ago I was going into my seventh year of management. I took a step back and said, ‘I don’t want to do this anymore,” Easton said. “I was interested in physical therapy coming out of high school, so I decided I would do what I needed to do to get back on that path. That’s when I found the PTA program at HCC.”
Easton wakes up at 5 a.m. to prepare for the day and drop off his daughter in a before-school program so he can arrive at HCC Coleman College in Houston at approximately 7 a.m. He stays a full day at the college, eating and studying in between classes.
Easton leaves college at 4:30 or 5 p.m. to pick up his daughter from school at approximately 5:45 p.m. He uses his commute time to listen to lectures.
“When you get home, you still have to push and find a way to study while paying attention to the other things in life,” Easton said.
On the weekends and occasional weeknights, this father also works a retail sales job to support himself and his daughter.
His schedule leaves him with little free time for himself and his daughter, but Easton creatively uses their time together.
“I try to play a game with her while studying,” Easton said. “For example, I put stickers on the bony landmarks on her arms and legs. It keeps her entertained, and it also helps me remember. We get to play and learn a lot together.”
Easton will graduate from the Physical Therapy Assistant program in May 2024. He will find employment and eventually enroll in the Healthcare Management bachelor’s degree program at HCC Coleman College. His ultimate goal is to earn a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree.
Easton is pursuing his education for his daughter as much as himself.
“I want to show my daughter that if you put in the work and make those little sacrifices you have a bigger payoff later on,” Easton said. “It’s mainly the focus I want her to learn. If you put a goal in your head, you can achieve it.”
Maren Jensen of Katy, Texas – Dental Hygiene student
Four weeks after graduating from the Dental Assisting program at HCC Coleman College, a mother of three is already heading back to campus.
“Even though I’m now a certified dental assistant, I was accepted into the Dental Hygiene program. Now I’m starting my first year of the program,” said Maren Jensen of Katy, Texas.
The 35-year-old will once again begin her hour-long commute to the Texas Medical Center five days a week for the next two years. She will also continue working weekends and occasional weeknights as a barista until she graduates in May 2025.
Balancing work, study and family life can be exhausting and stressful at times, but Jensen is ready to be uncomfortable.
“I have to wake up at 5:45 just so I can get on the highway at 6:15,” Jensen said. “It takes me about an hour to get to school in the morning, and, depending when I get out, it can take an hour or hour-and-a-half before I get home, but it’s all just part of the price you pay when you pursue a degree.”
“There’s a lot of sacrifice upfront,” Jensen added, “but I’ll have so many opportunities that weren’t there before because of the education and skills I gain as a dental hygienist.”
Everyone in Jensen’s circle helps her while she attends college.
Jensen’s fiancé drops off her 13-year-old daughter, 8-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son at school every weekday. Her friends and co-workers provide carpool support for her children after school. Her family also shares household responsibilities.
“A lot of household stuff, like the cooking, cleaning and laundry, gets divided up by kids and fiancé,” Jensen said. “I’m very grateful for the support system I have. This is how I’m able to find time to study. I shut myself in my bedroom, and that’s become my study area at home.”
Jensen’s children do not divert her from her education. They, in fact, keep her on course.
“My kids are my biggest cheerleaders and my main motivation for going back to school,” Jensen said. “What motivates me is knowing all my hard work will pay off one day, and I’ll be able to share it with them.”
Jensen, who overcame a difficult divorce five years ago, believes her college journey is teaching her children a life lesson.
“I really want my kids to see that whatever happens in life, you can always start over. You can always rebuild,” she said.
Rolnesha Dixon of Crosby, Texas – Licensed Vocational Nursing student
For Rolnesha Dixon of Crosby, Texas, a full-time student in the Licensed Vocational Nursing program at HCC Coleman College, it is her time to be in the classroom.
“Nursing has been a lifelong dream for me since I was a teenager,” said the 34-year-old. “Now that I don’t have to worry about daycare costs for my youngest children, it’s time for me to do this.”
The mother of eight (ages 6 to 21) will graduate from the year-long LVN program in December 2023. Dixon was inspired to become a nurse by her grandmother.
“My career is in dedication to my late grandmother,” Dixon said. “She died at a really young age, and it made me want to learn more about health and caring for people. I’m finally doing it.”
Though her nursing education is only 12 months, the early mornings and late nights make it feel much longer.
“I get up at 5 to have all my children ready for school, and we all leave at 6:30 every school day so I can get to campus by 7:10,” Dixon said. “I get help with my children so they are dropped off and picked up from school, but when I get home I still cook and clean for them and help them with their homework. I still want them to enjoy being children. After that, I give as much as I can to my schoolwork.”
Dixon also had to give up her part-time security guard job so she could attend college full time. Her education is squeezing her budget as much as her time, but she works through the temporary pains.
“You sacrifice a lot for your education, especially when you’re a parent,” Dixon said. “I’ve sacrificed too much to give up. I won’t give up.”
Though her income as a nurse will offer more financial stability to her and her family, it is the example Dixon wishes to set for her children that drives her to succeed.
“I want to be the best role model possible,” she said. “I want my kids to know that no matter what life brings your way, don’t give up. Things are only delayed, not deprived.”
Dixon plans to enter the workforce immediately upon graduation and eventually enter the bridge program at HCC to take her from a licensed vocational nurse to a registered nurse.