Welcoming our 2025 Student Parent Advocacy Alliance
At Generation Hope, student parents are central to shaping our advocacy and our vision for change. That’s the purpose of the Student Parent Advocacy Alliance (SPAA), and we’re proud to welcome the 2025 cohort stepping into this national leadership role.
SPAA brings together student parents from across the country to help guide Generation Hope’s regional and national policy priorities, elevate lived experience, and strengthen a growing movement for family-supportive systems. This year’s Alliance members carry a wide range of experiences and a shared commitment to opening better pathways for student parents in their communities and nationwide.
Over the next eight months, they’ll partner with our Policy & Research team to develop our annual Policy Agenda, offer insight on advocacy priorities, and contribute to efforts that make student parent success visible at every level of decision-making. Their leadership and lived expertise will help shape policies grounded in the realities student parents face.
We’re excited to launch this year’s Alliance and look forward to the impact this cohort will make as they build community, raise their voices, and push for meaningful change.
Meet our 2024-2025 SPAA Cohort!
Gracie Armstrong | University of Maryland Global Campus
Gracie Armstrong is a proud mother to her toddler daughter. She will graduate from the University of Maryland Global Campus in March 2026 with a bachelor’s degree in finance. Prior to UMGC, Gracie earned her associate’s degree in communication from Montgomery College, all with her daughter by her side.
Being a mother is her greatest joy. Gracie loves spending time with her daughter every day and cherishes getting to experience new things together. While pregnant, she chose to continue her education fully online so she could be with her daughter during the day and complete her coursework at night. Gracie also works part-time and takes on odd jobs to support her family, all while prioritizing being present for her child — the most important part of her life.
After experiencing college as a pregnant young mom and as a student parent, Gracie developed a passion for advocating for other student parents to help them earn their degrees. Gracie has shared her experiences in conversations and projects aimed at helping higher education professionals better understand and support student parents and their families. She hopes to empower others to embrace the journey of being a student parent and to experience the pure joy and pride that comes with learning, growing, and succeeding alongside their children.
Jenna Beber | Nicholls State University
Jenna is a graduate of Nicholls State University, where she is now a candidate for her M.Ed. in Educational Leadership with a concentration in Higher Education Administration. She hopes to continue her career in advocacy by helping disadvantaged youth see higher education as both an option and an asset. She says her access to higher education changed her and her two young children's lives and she wants to show other families what it can do for them. In undergrad, she founded the Nicholls Parenting Student Task Force, which led campus initiatives such as high chairs in the cafeteria, parking spots for pregnant students, and student parent data collection on university applications.
Jenna and the task force were proud to host the university's inaugural Parenting Student Resource Fair and Parenting Student Graduation Celebration. She also served on the National Women’s Law Center’s Student Council for the Pregnant and Parenting Students Coalition and is a proud graduate of the Generation Hope New Orleans Program. Jenna now balances multiple part-time jobs while continuing her advocacy by volunteering as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for CASA of Lafourche and a photographer for local philanthropies. She remains active with the Parenting Student Task Force, which is currently focused on connecting with student parents and building a strong community among them.
Araseli Chicas Flores | University of Maryland Global Campus
Araseli Chicas Flores is a student at the University of Maryland Global Campus, where she is pursuing her bachelor’s degree in business administration. She graduated from Prince George's Community College with her associate's in culinary arts in December 2024. Araseli's Goal is to own her restaurant one day and collaborate with local chefs and host community events with nonprofits seeking those who deal with food insecurity. Araseli is very motivated to help those who deal with food insecurity and every chance she has to feed them. Araseli's mother, Cecilia, would go to Langley Park and feed those who are in need, making tamales. Araseli grew up with the drive that if her mom can do it, so can she . Every chance Araseli has to bless those who require food, she does and shows her lovely daughter Liliana how to always help those who are in need. We are all a community.
Sioux Fast Horse | Montana State University Billings
Sioux Fast Horse is a student at Montana State University Billings, where she is pursuing an Associate of Applied Science degree in Automotive Technology. Her interest in vehicles and the theory behind how they function has shaped her academic and career path. Entering a male-dominated field, she hopes to inspire other women and contribute to meaningful change within the automotive industry.
She is the mother of three daughters—ages eight, six, and three—and enjoys spending time with them doing arts and crafts and exploring new activities. Sioux is an active member of the Parents Voice Club at an Early Head Start program and serves on the Student Parent Advisory Committee at MSUB.
She looks forward to supporting other student parents by sharing resources, elevating their experiences, and advocating for solutions that reflect their needs. Sioux aims to help make higher education more accessible and practical for students with children.
Bridgette Ellis | Palo Alto College
Bridgette Ellis is a first-generation college student at Palo Alto College pursuing her bachelor’s degree in Business Management and Logistics. She earned her associate degree in Business and Entrepreneurship and now serves as Historian for the Student Government Association at both Palo Alto College and St. Philip’s College. Bridgette is a founding member of the Alamo Colleges Foundation Ambassadors and has held work-study roles with the Alamo Colleges Foundation and Student Success.
She also serves on the Student Parent Taskforce, collaborating with Parent Student Liaisons from all five Alamo Colleges. In her professional role, she works for the Alamo Colleges District as a Senior Specialist at the ACCESS Welcome Center, supporting districtwide onboarding and student success. As a mother of three, Bridgette balances school, work, and family while advocating for student parents to feel supported and seen across higher education.
Ja’Meshia Johnson | Virginia State University
Jameshia Johnson is a student parent at Virginia State University, set to graduate in December 2025 with a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies degree and a concentration in Social Work. She plans to pursue a Master’s in Social Work and continue building a career in the mental health field, an area she cares deeply about.
As a first-generation college student, former foster youth, and single mother of two, Jameshia’s path has shaped her commitment to breaking generational barriers and strengthening support systems for student parents. Her lived experiences fuel her dedication to advocacy and her belief in the importance of dependable resources for those balancing parenting, academics, and personal development.
With a background in law enforcement, she brings a distinctive blend of structure, empathy, and community-minded perspective to her future work in social services. In her free time, she enjoys spending quality time with her children and creating meaningful memories together.
Lacresha Chukwuemeka | Dallas College
Lacresha Chukwuemeka is a student at Dallas College pursuing an associate’s degree in Nursing. She is the mother of an energetic little boy named Cairo, who continues to inspire her academic journey and remains her greatest “why.” She is passionate about the healthcare field and child advocacy, with a particular interest in becoming a NICU nurse. Alongside her studies, she works full-time at Baylor.
As a single parent without immediate support, Lacresha has built her college community into a meaningful source of connection, guidance, and stability. The resources she has received have made a significant difference in her life, and she carries firsthand insight into the challenges student parents navigate every day.
Lacresha hopes to encourage other student parents to keep moving forward, even when the path feels overwhelming. She often describes the journey as a “car wash of life”—messy at times, but full of promise, with light and something brighter waiting at the end.
Fanisha Terry | College Unbound
Fanisha Terry is a proud student at College Unbound, currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership in Change. For her project, she is developing an Employee Advocate Program, an initiative designed to promote work-life balance, financial stability, and accessible childcare solutions for working parents. Fanisha brings her passion for equity and empowerment to her role as an Administrative Specialist in Capital Construction at the King County Housing Authority, where she also serves as a CCAR Practitioner and an active member of the REDI (Race, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) team.
As a mother of four and grandmother of three, Fanisha understands the challenges and rewards of balancing education, career, and family. In her spare time, Fanisha enjoys reading and writing and is currently crafting a fantasy novel. Her journey is what gives her the strength of perseverance and her commitment to uplifting student parents as leaders, advocates, and changemakers.
Summer Wahab | Stanford University
Summer Wahab is a student at Stanford University pursuing a degree in Psychology, building a foundation for a future career in social work and child advocacy. As a single mother of three, she is committed to creating stronger futures for families like her own and addressing cycles of poverty, abuse, and instability. Her lived experience—including growing up in the foster care system and overcoming homelessness, addiction, and significant adversity—drives her dedication to supporting student parents and children facing systemic challenges.
Before transferring to Stanford, she attended City College of San Francisco, where she served as the 2025 student commencement speaker and participated in programs supporting low-income students, previously incarcerated individuals, and student parents. She also worked as a student ambassador, offering guidance, sharing resources, and mentoring fellow student parents. Her community efforts extended to supporting people experiencing homelessness by distributing essentials such as food, clothing, blankets, and tents, while balancing school, work, and parenting her three children.
She has experience as a parenting intern at a rehabilitation facility, where she supported mothers caring for children ages 0 to 3. She also volunteered with organizations serving foster youth, providing mentorship, resources, and connections. Her work reflects her belief that access to education, emotional support, and community resources can transform lives.
In her free time, she enjoys being with her children, contributing to her community, and spending time with her pets. As a student parent advocate, she aims to help institutions better respond to the needs of parenting students—childcare access, emergency funding, housing stability, and mental health support, among them. She believes student parents bring leadership, drive, and invaluable perspectives to campus communities and is committed to ensuring their voices are recognized and valued.