As a first generation college student and the daughter of two factory workers, Taren Smith-Townsend initially struggled to balance the responsibilities of being a single mother and finishing her degree.
Born and raised in Flint, Michigan, both of Smith-Townsend’s parents worked for General Motors. Her mother has been in and out of her life due to alcoholism, she said, leaving her father to raise her since the age of three.
“My dad has always been my rock, he is my biggest cheerleader, he has always been there for me,” Taren said.
She said her father’s consistent love and support played an instrumental role in helping her become the woman that she is today.
Smith-Townsend put being a student on hold when she chose to join the Marine Corps.
She served two tours in Iraq, she said, while working as a combat lifesaver and a truck driver for the Marines during her deployment. After her first tour, Smith-Townsend gave birth to her daughter.
Once her second tour was over, Smith-Townsend moved to Albuquerque and joined the New Mexico Army National Guard to continue her schooling at the University of New Mexico.
Her decision to become a pharmacist was influenced by her experiences in the military. Smith-Townsend said her time as an active duty soldier helped guide her down the path that she now walks.
The challenges of simultaneously being a single parent and going back to school can be daunting for anyone. But Smith-Townsend was able to finish her undergraduate studies in only three years.
Now, she is just days away from graduating with a doctorate from the College of Pharmacy.
Smith-Townsend didn’t just practice her studies in the classroom. As an undergrad, she was the president of the UNM Pre-Pharmacy Society, and later served as vice president of the Health and Sciences Student Council while in the College of Pharmacy.
Though the road to finishing her degree is ending, she said the journey was just as special.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
“It’s been kind of a blessing in disguise,” Smith-Townsend said. “Because my daughter sees me studying, she sees me working hard and putting in the effort and passing my classes. I’m glad things have worked out the way they have, because I know she’s going to be better knowing that I did this, that she saw her mom do this.”
The drive of being able to give her daughter a better and brighter future, and to be a better mom than the one she had growing up, has helped her push forward and achieve new heights no one in her family has ever reached before.
Smith-Townsend recalls spending hours in the office of Krystal McCutchen, the director of student services at the College of Pharmacy, stressed out, hopeless and wondering what she’d gotten herself into.
While McCutchen’s guidance kept Smith-Townsend on track to achieving her goals, it was reciprocated as McCutchen said she felt inspired by Smith-Townsend.
“Taren is a great example of perseverance,” McCutchen said. “Over the seven years I have known her, I have watched her overcome personal and academic challenges. Even with big roadblocks, she wouldn’t give up; she would simply find a way around the block.”
Wally Gallart is a sports reporter for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @wallyagallart.
