Going to college can be a rewarding yet challenging experience. Anyone with children knows that things only get more complicated when you add a little one to the mix, but that wasn’t going to stop Imani Lamarr.
At 21 years old, Imani was beyond ready to return to class after giving birth. Her son, Christopher Murphy, was born prematurely and had to spend months in the hospital, causing her to miss a whole semester.
“It was really hard,” Imani said. “Every day going to the hospital, seeing him and not being able to help him, it was hard.”
Once her son made a full recovery, she was determined to finally finish school, something she’s dreamed of doing for quite some time.
“I’ve always wanted to go to an HBCU [historically black college and university]. So, I decided what’s better than the first, so I chose Lincoln,” she said.
Not too long after making her way back to school in Pennsylvania, Imani found herself without a babysitter. With no one to watch Christopher, she’d be forced to miss class… or so she thought.
When she informed her professor why he wouldn’t be seeing her that day, his reply left her speechless.
“‘No.’ He told me no,” she explained. “And I was just looking at him like, no I can’t miss class? I don’t have nobody to watch my baby.”
At first, Dr. Aqeel Dix’s response may sound unfair or harsh, but in reality, the compassionate professor had a way to make sure his student didn’t have to miss a lesson. His solution? Just bring Christopher to class!
“I will never have a student miss class because they have no one to keep their kids. I will hold Dr. Dix day care in the back of my class before I allow them to miss class,” he wrote. “Days like this makes me fall in love with what I do.”
Understandably, Imani wasn’t sure this was the best idea. What if Christopher made too much of a fuss? Would he be too distracting?
Yet shortly after class began, Imani handed Christopher over to Aqeel. He proceeded to carry around the adorable little baby for the entire 90-minute lecture. The best part? It went perfectly!
Fast forward two years and Imani is all set to graduate! She can’t help but reflect on all the people she has to thank for helping her get here.
“I never thought that it would come to that, and to have somebody who’s there for me… who really cares … it meant a lot,” she said. “You really don’t understand how much this meant to me.”
Share this story to celebrate Imani’s soon-to-be graduation day and to thank an absolutely incredible educator!
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