Austin Community College District (ACC) student Kristan Hennessy is one of only seven students selected to serve as the Student Parent Fellow as part of the FamilyU Cohort. Fellows will serve as the liaison between administration and student parents and work alongside staff to make decisions that benefit student parents.

Kristan, a parent of two, is currently studying nursing. She aims to become a nurse practitioner or doctor and open a free healthcare clinic that offers services to impoverished and underrepresented communities. During her fellowship, Kristan will work with ACC administration and other students across the country to improve how colleges and universities address the needs of students with children. 

The Student Parent Fellowship program will allow fellows to develop a capstone Advocacy Project to complement the goals and efforts of their school’s plan.

ACC partnered with Generation Hope and other colleges for the FamilyU Cohort. The program aims to increase institutional support for parenting students pursuing higher education. In the first year, the college worked with Generation Hope to assess existing conditions for student parents and develop a customized work plan to serve them better.

Click here for more information about the 2023 Student Parent Fellows.

Tags: FamilyU, Fellowship, Student Parent Fellow, Student Parent Fellowship