Sitting in a white plastic chair at Twistars U.S.A. Gymnastics Club in Lansing, Teberah Alexander watched her daughter flip on the trampoline while writing a paper about compassion for her nursing class.

Alexander has watched 4-year-old Amiya grow during the majority of her college career.

When Alexander turns her tassel on May 2, her daughter will be cheering her on.

Alexander is co-chairperson of MSU's Student Parents on a Mission, a student parent support group.

Members meet once a month and Child and Family Care Resources pays for child care that evening. They also sponsor activities for MSU families to attend including ice skating and visits to the apple orchard.

Alexander recently started a student-parent scholarship to be awarded to one student parent every fall and spring.

Alexander didn't quit school when she had her daughter during her freshman year at MSU - but it hasn't been easy, she said.

A typical Wednesday starts at 7 a.m.

Alexander goes to Lansing's Sparrow Hospital for a leadership and management clinical for her nursing program and drops off Amiya at Okemos Montessori Radmoor School. At 3 p.m. Alexander picks up Amiya from school and the pair heads to an educational program aimed at math and reading.

Then, it's off to a 4 p.m. gymnastics lesson.

At 5 p.m., Alexander rushes Amiya home to be watched by her brother while she goes to her 5:30 p.m. statistics class. Homework and dinner for Alexander come after class mixed in with some playtime with Amiya.

Amiya also takes swimming lessons once a week.

To keep up in her classes, Alexander brings her homework to all of her daughter's activities. It's all about time management, she said.

"My books are always with me," she said.

Studying is something that Melissa Brown says she hardly ever has the chance to do.

The supply chain management junior tries to juggle late-night studying with taking care of her two children, who are both younger than 2.

"I always try to save my studying for later at night when they go to bed," she said. "They're not going to care if I stayed up until three in the morning, they're still going to wake up at seven."

Both women said earning a degree is something they need to do for both themselves and their children.

"I've been through the storm only because of the strength that God has given me," said Brown, who is also a member of the student parents' group.

"My philosophy is to list my options, weigh the pros and cons, make a decision and move forward."

But environmental engineering graduate student Mohammad Sajjad, another member of the group, said a degree might be out of reach.

Sajjad, who lives with his wife and two daughters in Cherry Lane apartments, said the lengthy and expensive route to a doctorate degree greatly affects both him and his family.

"I come home very stressed because my future is unknown," he said.

"It's very difficult not to bring part of the problem to the house."

For more information about Student Parents on a Mission call (517)432-3745 ext. 146.