We're Dads too!

Three E-Media seniors, Noah Smith, Jaramy Carmody, and myself have simultaneously taken on the role of student and father, the original teacher.

If it sounds difficult, I’ll be the first to tell you it is. With all the time school requires both in and out of class, and in some cases working a full time job as well, one might question who would have time to raise a child.

Noah and I will start our last quarter at CCM in September 2009, right after our sons Cash and Cainan, respectively, will turn 2 years old.

Noah says, “the biggest problem I face as a parent in school is the issue of spreading myself too thin.”

Jaramy, shown in the photo above with his son Kevyn, plans to graduate in the Spring of 2010. He agrees with Noah, saying one of the biggest challenges “is learning to get as much done as possible inside small blocks of time.”

After classes, work, and raising a son, there is not much time left. Noah even runs his own studio, Jaramy works 40 hours a week, and all three of us commute daily through traffic to do it all. 

So how do we do it? Is there some big secret to being able to handle so much at once?

Jaramy finds his wife Jaime to be a pillar of support. No matter how long the days may be, he says “I still have my family to come home to that loves and supports me.”

"The rewards of fatherhood are great enough to do it all." Noah says, “Cash has slowed my life down. He has made me realize it’s time to appreciate life.”

Being in a creative field also puts a unique spin on parenting. We see our children and watch for signs of the creativity we have come to love in ourselves. We use things like music to try to inspire them. Jaramy has even used his son in a project for the Electronic Music class.

So how do we do it? Easier than one might think. Watching an infant grow and learn so much so quickly sometimes makes the best motivation to continue learning yourself… even if it is on three hours of sleep.

Written by Peter Rahn, June 2009