Through her work in the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Gender and Sexuality Center and her experience as a graduate student, Thandie Ncube understands what it means to give and receive support as a student parent.

Ncube, a graduate student and mother herself, said she’s grateful for the parent-child bond she has with her child and her mom, as she began the very same graduate educational administration program that her own mother was just finishing.

“For me, I loved it. I always had a mentor close (who was also my parent) to help when I felt like I was falling short,” Ncube said. “I knew I could always get the guidance and the resources to succeed.”

Inspired by her mother to help other student parents in need — and drawing from her own experiences as a single parent — Ncube works with the Gender and Sexuality Center to help offer the support, guidance and comfort she felt from having her own mother nearby while working to balance graduate school, work and parenting.

“Being a parent while also being a student is very demanding. It’s consuming mentally, physically and financially,” she said. “There are limitations to the work you can do outside class, and I love helping other students who are in need.”

Through programs like “Holiday for Little Huskers,” which provides gifts for student parents during the holiday season, and collaborations with the Children’s Center to facilitate childcare options, the Gender and Sexuality Center ensures that student parents have access to vital resources both on and off-campus.

“As a mother, I need to know that if I need something— like someone trustworthy to watch my kid — those things are available,” she said. “We’ve built a community of resources for both the parents and the kids.”

Choosing Nebraska for graduate school in the first place was all about fostering a community for herself and her child.

“I love Lincoln because it’s peaceful. It’s quiet. My daughter was a major factor in my decision-making process,” she said.

Ncube reflected on the profound impact motherhood has had on her life and her mission at Nebraska.

“It has changed me for the better. I have grown as a person,” she said.