The past year has been made of gut-wrenching moments—grappling with a once-unthinkable new normal. One year ago, the University of Washington took the then-extreme step of moving instruction online and ultimately canceling the rest of the in-person term. That decision ushered in a new reality for colleges. Businesses, schools, and other institutions across the country soon followed.

To document how profoundly COVID-19 has altered work and life in higher education, The Chronicle observed more than a dozen people in the space of a single day. This is their story.

The path to and through college is challenging for many students, but the challenges can be especially acute for students who seek a credential or degree while also raising children.

As student parents and the colleges that serve them approach the one-year mark in a crisis for which none could have prepared, a new brief offers a portrait of an important student population whose goals matter not just for themselves, but for their children.