When Alexis Gunartt began her doctoral studies in DePaul University’s College of Education, she was balancing coursework with raising two young children as a single mother. Those experiences not only shaped her journey to earning a Doctor of Education (EdD), but they also became the foundation of her research.

Gunartt, who recently completed her doctorate in education, focused her dissertation on the experiences of single mothers pursuing higher education. Using an autoethnographic approach, she combined her own lived experience with interviews of other single mothers to examine the challenges they face and identify ways colleges and universities can better support student parents.

“I always wanted more for my kids—more than I had,” Gunartt said. “I knew going back to school could give me that.”

Before pursuing her doctorate, Gunartt earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nonprofit management. Although she found the work rewarding, she said it became increasingly difficult to support her family while working in the nonprofit sector.

“I loved being able to help the community,” she said, “but I couldn’t find work that would afford me enough to pay for childcare and go to work.”

She began substitute teaching, a career move that introduced her to education while offering the flexibility she needed as a parent.

Gunartt entered DePaul’s doctoral program during the COVID-19 pandemic, when hybrid learning created additional flexibility for students balancing work and family responsibilities. Although she was initially reluctant to tell faculty about the demands of parenting young children, she found understanding and encouragement when she did.

“I was met with so much grace at DePaul…If I had a baby at home with an ear infection or someone was sick, my professors were so understanding,” she said. “They would say, ‘Stay home,’ or ‘Join us on Zoom.’”

As students developed research interests early in the doctoral program, Gunartt found herself returning to a topic she knew well.

“I started researching single parents, and then I focused on single moms in higher education,” she said. “Being a single mom, it was my favorite topic because it related to me.”

Working with dissertation chair Prof. Donna Kiel, Gunartt refined that interest into an autoethnographic dissertation that explored both her own experiences and those of three other student mothers from institutions around Chicago.

Her research found that institutions often overlook the unique needs of student parents during the admissions and onboarding process.

“None of the mothers were asked [by their universities] whether they were parents, what their caregiving responsibilities were or what resources they needed,” Gunartt said. “Parents often have to figure everything out on their own.”

She believes colleges and universities can better support student parents by identifying those needs early and connecting families with resources such as childcare, flexible scheduling and academic support.

Gunartt also credits Kiel with helping her navigate the challenges of completing a dissertation while raising a family.

“She believed in my topic immediately,” Gunartt said. “There were times when I just needed someone to remind me that I could do this.”

The day before commencement, as she prepared to celebrate with family and friends, Gunartt reflected on the sacrifices that made the moment possible.

In a journal entry she wrote before graduation, she recalled the financial uncertainty, late-night coursework and emotional challenges that accompanied earning a doctorate while raising young children. Looking at her children, she realized that while they might not remember those difficult moments, they had shared every step of the journey.

“Maybe they don’t remember the struggles because I carried them for them,” she wrote. “This degree was never earned by me alone. It was earned by all three of us.”

At commencement, her children watched as she crossed the stage to receive her doctoral hood. Today, they proudly call her “Doctor Mommy.”

While Gunartt originally envisioned a career in K-12 educational leadership, the response to her research has expanded her goals. She hopes to continue advocating for student parents through work in higher education, helping institutions create more supportive pathways for single mothers and other nontraditional students.

“I want to be able to impact single moms,” she said. “I want them to know their goals are possible.”