Gina M. Ocon

Gina M. Ocon '98-'00

She left Harvard in her sophomore year to have a daughter. Four years later, she's walking in Commencement 2000.

Gina M. Ocon '98-'00 admits that being an undergraduate at Harvard as well as a young, single mother limits, among other things, her extracurricular opportunities. But try telling her that she missed out on learning the skills taught in the likes of, say, the Harvard Juggling Club.

"It's been the ultimate juggling act," says Ocon of her dual responsibilities as student and mother. "It puts a lot of perspective on my entire academic career."

In late 1995, the former Eliot House resident withdrew from the College to return to her home in Southern California and have her daughter, Bailey, who is now four. But she was always determined to return to Cambridge to earn her degree.

Bailey's father disagreed, arguing that Ocon couldn't move his daughter 3,000 miles away. After a year-long custody battle that made national headlines, the courts gave Ocon sole custody in 1997, and back East she came.

But being a student and single mother hasn't been easy.

"I battle commuting with my daughter to daycare, and just trying to stay afloat," she says. "Especially in crunch time, like reading period."

At the same time, strangely enough, Ocon claims that having Bailey around has actually helped her work habits.

"Being a parent, contrary to popular belief, has made me a much more efficient time manager, and much more organized," she adds. "I've been getting much better grades."

Being a mother also tempers academic-related stress.

"No one individual paper or day is going to get me down," she says. "I'm very realistic about my ability to excel."

One of the best things for Ocon has been the way she has been received at Harvard, by students and other members of the University community.

"I get approached off the streets quite a bit," she says. "People recognize my daughter, and ask me when I'm going to graduate. Students around here are very receptive to what I'm trying to accomplish."

Ocon has somehow managed to find time to serve as the Dudley House representative to the senior class committee. She has also been invited by various groups to share her experiences as a single mother and college student. After completing a few more courses, Ocon would like to stay at Harvard, possibly working in the Development Office.

"It makes a lot of sense to stay near a university and intellectually curious people," she says. "I love Harvard, and I've had such a wonderful time here, and so has Bailey."