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Student juggles family, education without getting lost along the way

By Christine D'Amico

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

For Father’s Day, R.J. Rowley, 31, and his wife, Rachel, piled their four kids into the car and traveled to Rachel’s parent’s house. After spending a day with family, the Rowleys loaded back into the car, traveled home and put their four children to bed. After his kids go to sleep, he finally starts hitting the books.

For the last eight years, R.J. Rowley, has balanced the day-to-day grind of fatherhood with a hectic academic schedule.

“Having children and being in school, people might look at it and say, ‘You’re crazy,’” Rowley said. “But when you have children and you’re in school, it’s a really big motivation to get things done.”

Rowley’s children are between the ages of 2 and 8 and is working toward a Ph.D. in Geography.

R.J. and Rachel already had two children by the time he earned his undergraduate degree in Geography at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. Child No. 3 came while Rowley was working toward a Master’s degree in Geography at the University, while the fourth Rowley child came right as Rowley began his Ph.D. program.

Rowley is quick to thank his wife for helping him carry out the tricky juggling act. But Rowley has made his share of sacrifices. He said he didn’t go out much, because going out meant finding a babysitter, and he’d rather spend his evenings with his children.

“I try to keep my work time and school time nine to five,” Rowley said. “I rarely do any homework in the evening hours. I feel like I need my evening with my family.”

“How do you do it?” is a question Rowley has heard all too often.

He admits that there are days when his schedule can be overwhelming, and a good night’s sleep might be only four or five hours.

“But that’s probably no different than a lot of undergraduates,” Rowley said.

Then there are days like Sunday — Father’s Day.

“It’s kind of the day I get to be spoiled,” Rowley said. “On a different level, Father’s Day is a day where I get to think about how I want to be as a dad.”

— Edited by Christine D’Amico

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