Celebrating MIT's graduate student parents
Happy National Student Parent Month! This month, the Office of Graduate Education is featuring one graduate student parent per week, highlighting their academic work and parenting journey at MIT.
Family: sons Luke (10) and Gary (5), daughter Colette (7), and husband, Ed.
Degree program: MBA Sloan
Years at MIT: 1
From Alaska to Cambridge
Meet Allison Somuk, a first year MBA student at MIT’s Sloan School of Management. Allison, along with her husband and three children, made their big move to Massachusetts in 2023.
Previously stationed in Alaska, Allison and her husband, Ed both bring strong military backgrounds to their new chapter in Cambridge, as well as a distinct thirst for learning. Allison previously served as a lawyer in the U.S. Air Force, focusing on prosecution for disciplinary actions within the military. Ed, who spent 26 years in the Marine Corps infantry, is now retired and pursuing his undergraduate studies at Harvard, with a particular passion for Greek and Roman History.
The couple now lives with their three children Luke (10), Colette (7), and Gary (5), on an Air Force base outside of Cambridge. While the commute to campus can be long, Allison says they are grateful to stay in their home and keep their children in a familiar environment.
Starting Fresh at MIT Sloan
This fall marks Allison’s first year as an MBA student at MIT Sloan. Though she excelled as an attorney, she felt ready for a new challenge. “I felt like the shift to business made sense,” she explains, and she is now eager to explore entrepreneurship, with a particular interest in maternal healthcare.
That interest is deeply personal. Having had her first child while living on a Marine base in Okinawa, Japan, Allison witnessed firsthand how maternal care abroad contrasted with her experience in the U.S. The difference was “striking,” she recalls. Although she delivered her baby in a Navy hospital due to inclement weather, she had planned to give birth at a local clinic where she received most of her prenatal care from a Japanese obstetrician. Had she delivered at the local clinic, she would have received extensive postpartum care and support, which focuses on nutrition, physical recovery and emotional wellbeing. In contrast, the lack of care she received from the U.S. system, fueled her desire to create better systems of support for mothers.
Looking ahead, Allison is exploring entrepreneurship in maternal healthcare but also feels a rooted passion for working with Christian global nonprofits. She and her family are considering relocating to Atlanta or Raleigh to be closer to family.
Parenting, Community, and Support
Like many student parents, Allison was unsure of what support she might find at MIT. But after attending a June webinar for students with children, she was encouraged to learn about the range of resources available. Backup care, in particular, stood out. While her children are in school full-time, she appreciates the reassurance of having options during school vacations or unexpected illnesses, especially without extended relatives nearby to rely on.
Looking Ahead
Allison and Ed are looking forward to 2027, when they will celebrate their graduations together– back-to-back at MIT and Harvard. In the meantime, they are balancing studies, parenting, and the unique joys of dual student-parent life.
For more information on MIT’s support for students with children, please visit the MIT Families website or contact gradfamilies@mit.edu.
