Master’s, plus motherhood

By Janice Hamilton

Writing a master’s thesis in engineering can be challenging. So can becoming a first-time mother. A growing number of Concordia students are doing both – at the same time. The key, say two such young women, is being well organized. Lots of support from family members and understanding from supervisors also helps.

Manar Wasef Abu-talib’s daughter, Ala, turns one year old this month, and the deadline for her thesis is electrical and computer engineering is coming up in March. “I didn’t postpone anything,” Manar said. When she gave birth, her co-supervisor, Dr. Dssouli, told her to rest and come back when she felt fine. She only took a month off; however, she admits with a laugh that it was hard to come back. “In my field, I forgot many things.”

She has not sent the baby to day care, since she is still breastfeeding. She is able to manage because she does her work at home on the computer. Her husband, who is currently studying for his PhD, takes turns looking after the baby for three-hour stretches while Manar studies; then they switch.

Several factors motivate Manar. She says her parents in the United Arab Emirates taught all their five children the value of education. “They ask us to reach as high as we can,” she said. Also, her husband is job hunting and may find work outside of Canada, so Manar wanted to finish her degree before leaving. Children are high on her priority list. “I love children,” she said. She hopes to have a second child after finishing the course work for her PhD.

May El-Barachi started her master’s program in electrical engineering at about the same time as she got pregnant. Her daughter, Yasmine, is now about seven months old, and May is working on her thesis.

“It was very hectic, especially when she was a newborn,” she said. “I had to take a month off completely.” Her mother came from the United Arab Emirates to help for four months, so May was able to get back to work quickly. Fortunately, she found that both the staff at Ericsson, where she is doing her research, and Dr. Dssouli, her supervisor at Concordia, were flexible and understanding.

For May, combining motherhood and graduate studies is possible because she planned things well. It is hard, she acknowledges, but it is a joy to have children, and “it’s worth it.”