It’s not easy as a parent balancing ambition with the desire to be fully present for your children. You constantly feel like you are being pulled in different directions. One mom who graduated with a master's in public policy from Princeton University knows this all too well.
Natasha S. Alford is a mom, journalist, and has now graduated from grad school. Her hooding ceremony was made even more special when her 3-year-old son Julian helped out. She posted it on TikTok and it soon went viral. She spoke to Good Morning America about the experience.
This moment really touched Natasha. “When I took my 3-year-old son Julian onstage to see my master’s hooding, I did not realize Dean Jamal would ask if he wanted to help hood me,” she explained in the caption of her TikTok. Being a mom and student wasn’t easy but she is so proud of her accomplishment.
“Of course everything I’ve been holding came to the surface because doing graduate school as a mother to a young child was a different kind of experience,” she continued. “When I was not studying, I was running back to him to play trucks and build towers with blocks.” You could say she worked hard and played hard.
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Natasha is so thankful for her partner who helped support her during this process. “His father had to constantly push me to get on to class and not worry because all would be fine, and he was right,” she continued. “This was truly the best year for our family.”
Bringing kids on stage to walk with their parents is a tradition at Princeton. Natasha is so thankful to Dean Amaney Jamal for creating this supportive atmosphere for working parents. “Julian loved Princeton , made many new tiger cub friends and now has SPIA aunties and uncles around the world,” she explained. “Thank you Dean Jamal for the tradition of letting parents bring their children to celebrate this milestone.”
Natasha concluded her caption by dedicating this achievement to her son. “This is for you my dear son— you can achieve whatever has been placed in your heart and mind because greatness is already within you,” she gushed.
Natasha shared this moment to help inspire others. "I wanted people to see that mothers and sons — we have a special relationship. But also mothers can be high achievers," she explained to GMA. "They can have goals outside of the home, outside of motherhood and there's room for all of that.
Princeton Dean Amaney Jamal also weighed in on the viral moment. "A hallmark of Princeton SPIA is its true sense of community, where we embrace each and every person's constitutive roles and identities, parents included! Our students often make significant sacrifices to pursue their dreams, but they are never alone in their journey," she explained to People. "With unwavering support from our dedicated faculty, compassionate staff, and fellow students, we have created a close-knit network that stands together through every challenge and triumph."
Natasha can’t help but look to the future. She is excited to see who her son becomes. "I hope that one day I'll be able to be at his hooding ceremony and watch him get hooded," she mused on GMA.
