College Students Who are Parents - Montana Tech Student Research Published

The Community College Journal of Research and Practice has published the research study of Montana Tech student, Ravyn Scott, AS, and her faculty mentor, Dr. Elyse D’nn Lovell. The research study is entitled: Community College Single-Parent Students’ Angst: Inequities Balancing Roles as Parent and Student.
Ravyn graduated from Montana Tech’s Highlands College with an Associate of Science degree. She is currently working on her Bachelor of Science degree. Dr. Lovell is a Montana Tech faculty member teaching Psychology and Gerontology.

“I never dreamed that in college I would have the opportunity to do actual research,” said Ravyn. “And then to have my research published in a peer reviewed academic journal was just tremendously exciting. This experience has really enriched my educational experience here at Tech.”

Ravyn and Dr. Lovell’s research focused on students who are also single-parents. Their findings concluded that single-parents who are going to college experience isolation and guilt. Recommendations from the research included student-parent support groups and family-friendly social activities (both often missing from traditional college campuses). Accepting the recommendations, Montana Tech had Ravyn implement such activities in support of student-single-parents.

“One of the missions of our campus is to provide undergraduate students with hands-on research experiences,” said Dr. Scott Risser, Head of the Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences program, “and the work that Dr. Lovell and Ms. Scott have accomplished is a wonderful example of how we fulfill that mission.”

For any further information about this issue or any issue pertaining to Montana Tech or Highlands College, please contact Amanda Badovinac at 406-496-4828 or Dr. Elyse Lovell at 406-496-3786.