Some think it’s hard to be a full-time student with a part-time job. What about students who juggle school, work and parenthood?

This may seem impossible to the average student, but to 34 year-old Lidia Aguilar, it is the opposite.

Aguilar started her educational journey five years ago at a community college and is currently  majoring in Criminal Justice at CSUSM.  She has four children, Josue (17), Eduardo (15), Giselle (11) and a baby boy, Santiago (3.5 months).

To Aguilar, it could have been impossible if it weren’t for the love and support of her family.

“My kids and my husband are my biggest motivation. There [have] been times where I become so overwhelmed with work, school and extra family activities that sometimes, it all seems impossible. My kids and my husband have pushed me and made sure I do not give up,” said Aguilar.

A typical day for Aguilar begins around 6 a.m., but sometimes she finds that she is not getting an adequate amount of rest due to staying up late.

Her day consists of taking her children to school, going to work and attending classes throughout the week. She usually has downtime to focus on homework at 11 p.m. when her family is asleep.

One skill that Aguilar said parents should have in order to keep up with life’s busy day-to-day demands consists of prioritization.

“You have to have good time management. On top of that my family has been really helpful. They will pick up around the house, and my husband helps with the kids’ extra curricular activities. They do things that they know I do not have time to do, and that means a lot,” said Aguilar.

All the time and effort that Aguilar is dedicating to both school and her family is so that she can seek her passion and work with underrepresented youth.

“I want to do probation work. I more so want to work with troubled teens and youth because people need to realize that they are our future,” she said.

As for advice to teen mothers or women trying to finish their education while being a parent, Aguilar encourages women to not get discouraged.

Aguilar said, “Do not give up. That is the best advice I can give, because yes, it may seem hard with kids, [but] going to school will all pay off in the end. You are doing this to make a better life for your family and it will pay off. It just takes a lot of determination.”