Contractions didn’t stop a heavily pregnant Louisiana mother from collecting her bachelor's degree.
Anshonarial Greenhouse was in active labor on December 13 as she walked across the stage during Louisiana State University’s commencement ceremony, reports The Daily Advertiser. She was escorted to the stage by LSU’s basketball coach and admitted it was a tough walk.
"It was rough walking across that stage," she said.
Greenhouse was rushed to the hospital right after she left the stage but did not give birth. She'd suffered from early contractions throughout her pregnancy and was on medication to stop them. Doctors warned her to take it easy, but the 31-year-old was determined to claim her diploma in person because she wanted to set an example for her 10-year-old daughter, Mahkia, according to 4WWL.
"She understands how important education is," Greenhouse said. "If she sees me doing my work, she does hers. It's showing her versus telling her."
The accounting major also wanted to be with her close-knit group of classmates, which included her mother, Elaine.
"In accounting, there are only like 10 students," she said. "I wanted to be there with them."
Greenhouse made sure she had a contingency plan, including an onsite ambulance, in case anything went wrong.
A little more than a week after she became a college graduate, Greenhouse gave birth to a son, Zaire, on December 22, a day before her birthday.
While finishing her degree, Greenhouse fought through the pain of her early contractions constantly and used apps including Zoom and YouTube to complete her classwork remotely. Elaine also brought her daughter’s homework to the hospital on days Greenhouse was forced to visit doctors.
"In college, I tried to believe I could do anything if I could be bold enough," she said. "I just tried to be a boss.”
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