One of the few sororities aside from Mu Tau Rho catering to student mothers is Mu Omicron Mu (whose initials spell “MOM”) at Northern Illinois University.
That chapter, formed in 2005, was developed as much out of financial necessity as an alternative for students with adult responsibilities, says sorority president Tiffanie Stuckey, a 25-year-old senior and single mother of a 6-year-old daughter.
Stuckey hoped to pledge another sorority but quickly realized she couldn’t afford the membership dues.
“They wanted $300 up front,” she says. “I didn’t have that kind of money. I had to buy diapers.”
In St. Louis, Mu Tau Rho members and their backers on campus say the mutual support is pivotal.
“Being a single parent is a tremendous amount of stress,” says Lori Tagger, a university psychologist and the group’s adviser. “They’ve got so many irons in the fire; kids and school and jobs and trying to have a personal life. This is a great opportunity for support.”
Overstreet, an accountant for a local car dealer, says the sorority helps her balance the competing demands of learner and parent — roles that don’t always easily mesh.
“I’m the only one of all my friends who went to school and got a degree,” she says. “I feel more comfortable [in the sorority] because they’re in my shoes.”
— Associated Press
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