When Abby Handberry couldn’t find anyone to watch her son, her professor stepped in to help.
Meet Emmett. He’s the tiniest member of the Intro to Special Ed class at South Carolina’s Columbia College.
The toddler sat quietly the entire time, strapped to the professor, Dr. Amanda Stefanski. His mom, Abby Handberry, is a student in the class.
That day, she had a presentation she had been working on for months. She didn’t want to miss it — and no one was around to watch little Emmett.
“My husband was at home and he got really sick. My usual sitter, my grandma, was busy, so I asked my teacher if I could bring him and she said we could bring him. I was nervous about bringing him, just 'cause ... I don't know if you can see but he's a little rambunctious," Handberry told InsideEdition.com, gesturing to her son.
As it turns out, it wasn’t Stefanski’s first rodeo. In fact, she said she's been in a similar situation three or four times.
“I would love to say there was some great thinking behind it, but it was really just that I understand what it's like to try and balance kids and school and work. I just wanted to help her out however I could,” she said.
Stefanski is a mom herself and wants others to know you don’t have to choose between parenting and getting an education.
“It's great for women out there who are trying to figure out if they can do it and it's great for other teachers to see that it's manageable,” she added.
Handberry said if she’s ever caught in a jam like that again, she’ll bring Emmett back to class with her.
As for the presentation — Stefanski called it “flawless,” just like Emmett’s behavior in class that day.
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