SALT LAKE CITY — As an employee, student and mother, St. George resident Emily Havens, 21, is facing the same challenges as many other Utah women.

While working full time as an Internet sales associate, Havens has been attending Dixie State University full time since 2012. However, she became pregnant last year with her now 3 ½-month-old daughter, Roslyn. With Roslyn’s birth, Havens and her husband, Rodney, had to make some changes.

While her husband continued to work full time selling cars, Havens’ college plans were set back for a semester as she went from a full-time student to part-time. She also stopped working in December so she could devote more time and energy toward her college and parenthood endeavors.

“I want to be able to live this life with as little regret as possible, and I know if I focused everything on work and school and not spend time with Roslyn, I would regret that sooner or later,” Havens said. “It’s hard … to just leave your baby at home. That just comes along with being a mom.”

Reflection

This article hit close to home for me. I am also a student, mother, and wife and I would not change it for the world. However, I must admit, most days are so demanding that I do not know how to prioritize my responsibilities. Do I make dinner, clean the house, or study are constant battles I deal with on a daily basis. However, I feel that I am only growing stronger as a person. I am showing my children the importance of education and I am proving to my education the importance of life. With that being said, I cannot help but continue the constant battle of my own perspective of whether or not I am an independent or interdependent person. I would like to think of myself as an independent person, someone whose identity is thought to come from inner attributes that reflect a unique essence of myself that remains stable across many situations. However, I cannot help but relate to the interdependent person inside me as well. I also believe myself to be a part of a larger social unit, such as my family where my relationships with them is contingent with my identity. Can a person be both? I believe so. I believe a person can have self-reflecting inner attributes that are unique, but also contribute to the key relationships with those around you.