She's 21 and a mum, an undergrad as well as a paralegal

Life threw Rao Liyan a curveball when she fell pregnant at 19.

The then first-year undergraduate at the National University of Singapore had been dating her boyfriend for nine months when she made the unexpected discovery, Zaobao.sg reported.

Rao was initially unsure if she was ready to become a mum. But after discussing it with her boyfriend and their respective families, the couple decided to get married and raise their child, a boy, together.

At the time, Rao was just six months into her political science course at the National University of Singapore. She made the decision to switch to doing part-time studies at the Singapore University of Social Sciences, so that she would have more time on hand when her son was born.

Looking back, Rao, now 21, is thankful that she had the support of both sides of the family as well as friends in embarking on her new life as a young mum.

She also shared how the unplanned pregnancy had thrown her for a loop.

According to Zaobao.sg, Rao struggled with the decision as being a mother wasn't part of her life goal, and at the same time, she wasn't sure if she could afford to give her son a comfortable life.

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But the encouragement of friends and family gave her the courage and confidence that she needed, said Rao.

While she currently still has to depend on her and her husband's family for help in caring for her son, Rao hopes to be able to fully support her son financially in the future.

It is for that reason that Rao had never once entertained the thought of quitting school to become a stay-at-home mum.

In fact, before she'd even given birth, Rao decided that she would continue her studies as well as find part-time work in order to bear some of the family's expenses.

Now, Rao is not only a mum and student, but she is also currently working as a paralegal in a law firm.

Although she knows that restarting her studies as a part-time student would cause her to graduate later than her peers, she believes that her work in a law firm would allow her to gain experience and be more employable upon graduation.

candicecai@asiaone.com