Yasmine Williams, 19, seems like your typical sophomore theater major. She goes to classes, works on productions, goes out with friends and even attends the occasional party. However, when Yasmine returns to her two-bedroom apartment at Englehart, a Northwestern graduate housing facility, she also cares for her 5-year-old son, Joshua.
Every weekday, Joshua attends Evanston Day Nursery while Yasmine’s at school. Her day starts at 7:30 a.m. and ends well after midnight. It’s grueling to be both a student and a mother, but Yasmine says having Joshua makes everything worthwhile.
“It’s like, ‘Today was a horrible day and I literally feel like dying,’ but then it’s like, ‘No, I don’t,” because Joshua’s there and he’s laughing and we’re enjoying ourselves,” she says.
Recently, we had a chance to talk with Yasmine and shadow her on a typical morning. Here’s what she had to say.