Brandy and Mia’s Path to Leadership in New Orleans

In New Orleans, Generation Hope Scholars are proving what’s possible when young parents are seen, supported, and celebrated. From classrooms to campus leadership, they’re pursuing degrees, raising families, and reshaping what higher education can look like for student parents. Among them are Brandy Campbell and Mia Ramirez—two Scholars whose journeys reflect the progress of our community-centered work in New Orleans.

“Being a leader means helping to create a village.”

Brandy Campbell attending one of her first Generation Hope events - Pathways to Promise in 2023

Brandy Campbell, a junior at Reach University, is studying to become a teacher while raising two children and working.

“Sometimes it’s hard to keep up,” she says. “But with the support of my grandparents and partner, I’ve been able to keep pushing forward.”

Through Generation Hope’s New Orleans Scholar Program, Brandy found the consistent encouragement she needed.

“The Scholar Program gave me multiple adults I can go to when I need support, whether it’s school or personal. I always know who to turn to.”

That support sparked something larger. Brandy joined the Scholar Leadership Council, an initiative that seeks to develop leaders from within the program to lift others.

“I wanted to help other mothers going through the same path as me,” she says. “Being a leader means helping to create a village for moms in the program.”

Her dream is clear: walk the graduation stage, launch a teaching career, and build a stable future for her children. “I want my kids to be healthy and thriving in school, too.”

“My biggest strengths have been resilience and determination.”

Mia Ramirez and her daughter at the New Orleans Fall Field Trip - photo by Scarlet Raven

Across the city, Mia Ramirez is in her senior year at the University of New Orleans, studying Elementary Education while raising her six-month-old.

Her journey, she says, has been “crazy but beautiful.”

“Life has brought me so many obstacles, but I’ve learned how to stay focused and keep moving forward, no matter what.”

For Mia, mentorship was transformational.

“I never even thought mentors were real until I had one,” she says. “She gives me advice, but more than that, she really listens. Generation Hope has given me opportunities, guidance, and a sense of community that makes me feel less alone.”

Balancing pregnancy and six college classes tested her limits. “There were many times I wanted to give up,” she remembers. “But the support I received pushed me forward.”

Now she’s paying it forward as a first-year member of the Scholar Leadership Council.

“For me, being a leader means helping others feel like they belong and encouraging them to reach their potential.”

Her long-term goal: earn a master’s in Educational Leadership and lead a school where “every student feels accepted, joyful, and confident.”

Communities that celebrate every family

Brandy and Mia are two of 31 teen parents in college supported through Generation Hope’s New Orleans program—68 percent of whom are first-generation college students.

Their progress underscores a larger truth: when communities celebrate and uplift families pushed to the margins—especially in times of upheaval—everyone benefits.

At a moment when national education policy is under strain, their success stories shine brighter. Federal programs like CCAMPIS (Child Care Access Means Parents in School)—which helps student parents afford on-campus childcare—have faced proposed cuts and elimination in recent budget cycles. The loss of such support threatens to push thousands of parents out of college altogether.

Changes to the Pell Grant Program eligibility and awarding rules are also creating new barriers. Proposed federal legislation starting in 2026 would tighten eligibility, require students to enroll in more credits per semester for full aid, and limit access for part‐time students—putting parenting students, who often need flexible schedules, at greater risk.

Generation Hope is diligently focused on filling the gaps—offering mentorship, leadership opportunities, and building a higher education community that says, you belong here.

A movement facing headwinds—and still rising

Across the country, Generation Hope’s Scholars and alumni are not only beating the odds; they’re changing them. Parenting students are shaping solutions from the inside out—advising staff, mentoring peers, and ensuring programs reflect their lived realities.

And they’re taking their insights national.

Next spring, at HOPE 2026 (March 25–27 in Dallas, Texas), Scholars, campus leaders, policymakers and advocates will gather to share strategies and set the agenda for the future of family-inclusive higher education.

The conference emphasizes the importance of current and former student parents, who will lead sessions, drive conversations, and advance Generation Hope’s goal of impacting 3 million parenting students by 2029.

“I want my kids to see me chasing my dreams.”

For Brandy and Mia, leadership begins at home—with children watching their mothers model perseverance and purpose.

“I want my kids to grow up surrounded by love and opportunities,” Mia says. “I want them to feel free to be themselves and to chase their dreams, just like they’ve seen me do.”

Their stories remind us that mentorship matters—and that now, more than ever, our communities must show up for student parents.

When we invest in their potential, we don’t just change individual lives. We strengthen families, campuses, and our shared future.

Applications for Generation Hope’s Scholar Program open in early November across all three sites—the Washington, D.C region, the greater New Orleans area, and the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. 

Our Generation Hope Scholar community at the 2025 Fall Field Trip in New Orleans - photo by Scarlet Raven

Mentorship is one of the most direct ways to help student parents thrive. To learn how you can get involved—or to apply—visit generationhope.org/get-involved