Professors congratulated her.
Classmates apologized.
Some of the students who had laughed approached her.
One young man looked embarrassed.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
Nia nodded.
“Thank you.”
“I didn’t know.”
Nia smiled slightly.
“That’s the problem.”
He looked at her.
“What do you mean?”
“People usually laugh at what they don’t understand.”
He lowered his head.
“I deserved that.”
“No,” Nia said.
“You deserved a chance to learn.”
That sentence stayed with him.
Months later, he would become one of the volunteers for the new student-parent program.
Three months after graduation, Nia received an email.
She had been offered a position at a financial services company.
The salary was more than double what she had earned working during college.
The benefits included health insurance.
Paid parental leave.
Retirement contributions.
And childcare assistance.
Nia stared at the offer for several minutes.
Then she called her mother.
“Mom?”
