Student Spotlight: Lana Guignard

For Lana Guignard, returning to college means balancing her education with raising three young children.

A Haitian-American and one of 11 siblings, Guignard is the mother of 15-month-old triplets, two girls and a boy. She says becoming a parent temporarily put her educational goals on hold.

“Having a family did delay my goals a bit,” Guignard said. “I had to focus on my kids, I had to focus on my family, and my goals had to be put on hold.”

Now a student at Los Angeles City College, Guignard says the college and LACC Foundation have helped her get back on track.

Raising triplets while attending school created significant financial challenges. She credits the resources available to student parents, along with financial assistance from the LACC Foundation, with helping her manage those expenses.

Guignard plans to graduate in 2027 and hopes to attend UCLA for a master’s degree in public affairs. Her ultimate goal is to become a lawyer, while remaining interested in social work.

She hopes donors will continue investing in resources for student parents, including child care, financial assistance and a dedicated space where parents can study with their children nearby.

And she emphasizes that those resources are important for both mothers and fathers.

“The foundation doesn’t only help women like me, but they also help the men as well,” Guignard said.