Being a student can be hectic. Maybe you’re balancing your studies with a part-time job — during a pandemic. Maybe you’re doing all this while raising children. This is the reality for an estimated 15 to 20 per cent of Concordians.
Luckily for those students with little ones, the Concordia University Student Parent Centre (CUSP) provides invaluable services to help them navigate life. In operation since 2010, CUSP offers practical workshops ranging from time management to study habits to tax clinics, as well as numerous activities for children and families.
For parents, by parents
CUSP coordinator Sumaiya Gangat was raising three children when she graduated from Concordia with a BA in child studies, so she can very much relate to the students who seek CUSP services.
“Like everyone, student parents are looking for community, and for them that means activities that can involve their children, and talking and sharing with other parents. At the core, CUSP is about community building.”
According to Gangat, 75 per cent of her clientele are international students, many of whom may not have the same support network that Canadian born students have. For many of them, CUSP is a lifeline.
Take Mohamed Dardir who received his PhD in building engineering in 2019. He came to Concordia in 2016 from Egypt and his wife and young son soon followed. The initial transition was difficult for his then three-year-old son.
“My boy really missed family and friends at first. What CUSP allowed us to do was to create a new network here in Canada. Through the centre we made new friends. And their kids became friends with my child and soon we were doing activities together.”
For Dardir, meeting other student parents was practical when it came to his schoolwork.
“Some days I would have my son with me on campus and I would call a friend and we would meet at CUSP. The kids would play and then we would take this time and study.”