It’s four days until Mother’s Day, and stay-at-home mother Nicole Price can’t stop gushing about her children. Her day and life revolve around her children of 2, 6 and 12 years. Walks to the park, helping her children with their homework, and family games of UNO are all in the daily routine. But as the children are tucked into bed, Price makes another selfless choice-to complete her homework.
While applying for mortgages for her family’s first home, she realized the gravity of relying on her husband to be the breadwinner for her family. That same year, her husband crushed his foot to add to his already shattered back. Price decided she needed to finish her bachelor’s degree online so she could add to her family’s financial security and relieve the pressure to provide from her husband’s shoulders.
Attending college was always a part of the plan, but Price’s plans were railroaded when her now-husband was in a serious car accident and her children came into her life. In high school, she set her goal high — she wanted to earn her Doctorate in Psychology to become a clinical psychologist.
Price’s career aspirations aren’t surprising to those who know her well. In addition to her strong desire to help others, she has curiosity about why people behave the way they do. What led the woman to rob a bank? What led him to commit murder? When Price was in high school, the Laci Peterson trial was underway. She was perplexed about why Anthony Peterson would kill his pregnant wife and decided that she would find out why. Price’s goal is to become skilled and renowned enough to work with Peterson or to have access to study his records.
Getting to that point isn’t easy. She is determined that her schooling won’t negatively affect her children. She only works on her homework after bedtime. When one of her children awakens with night tremors, she runs to comfort them even if it means she runs out of time on her online test.
“My kids are my first priority — school is second,” said Price. “If caring and comforting my children causes me to receive the grade of ‘B’ instead of an ‘A,’ so be it.”
Faith is the integral source of strength for Price.
“Without my faith, I don’t think I would have the strength to do what I do daily, let alone go to school,” said Price. “It was a definite push by God to do this. I believe He said this needed to happen and put it inside me and said, ‘Do it.’”
Her church family is also a village of support and love.
“They are our kids’ aunts, grandpas and cousins,” said Price. “If my husband and I didn’t have such a strong relationship with God and our church family, we couldn’t do it.”
With strength credited to God, Price receives top grades despite her extraordinary challenges. Even though Price and her family battled illness this year, she fought through the sickness to turn in every assignment on time. Even when her family is well, she stays up until 3:30 a.m. to complete her homework and begins her day again at 6:30 a.m.
Some nights, her step-daughter will stay up with Price for a few hours, mesmerized by Price’s determination and strength to pursue a degree. Price wants her journey to achieve her dream to inspire her children.
“They need to see that no matter what life throws, you can persevere,” said Price. “I want them to ignore the naysayers telling them they can’t do it and know that they can do it.”
