If you belong to a fraternity or a sorority at the University of Washington you probably see many of the same things at your events — a lot of purple, guys in polo shirts and Greek-lettered medallions around necks on the dance floor.

What you don’t often see is a baby, unless your fraternity happens to be Sigma Lambda Beta.

Pedro Orellana, a brother in Beta, is frequently accompanied at meetings by his son, Tavien. Orellana recently turned 20, celebrated his second wedding anniversary and began his second year at the UW, where he studies aeronautical engineering.

“On Friday I hadn’t seen my son much for a few days so I decided to skip class to be with him,” said the soft-spoken Orellana when asked how he balances his competing responsibilities.

“When everything fits in, however, it leaves me with a great sense of accomplishment. When I can think to myself that in one day I attended classes, did homework, picked up my son from daycare, put him to sleep and worked at my job [as a manager at McDonald’s], I feel very proud.”

For Orellana, this ability to juggle, while necessitated by fatherhood, is also made possible by it.

“My son is my inspiration. When I found out in high school that my girlfriend, now wife, was pregnant, I felt motivated to go to school to do something with my life for his sake,” he said. “I applied everywhere I could for scholarships, and spent my first year taking predominantly ESL classes. He makes me want to work hard every day. It’s because of him that I don’t quit.”

Orellana is one of an estimated 2,000 University of Washington students with children. While the University’s SPRC pays 60 percent of Orellana’s childcare costs, he is left paying the remaining $1,300 a quarter. Neither he nor his wife have healthcare, and Tavien, who suffered complications at birth, receives medical coupons. Orellana and his wife live at home with his parents, rather than spending the $700-$1,600 a month on the University’s family housing.

Parents like Orellana have tricks for squeezing in study time and minimizing costs.

“We spend a lot of time at the library,” said Marci Burden, who is getting a master’s degree in policy studies from the UW’s Bothell campus and has a four-year-old son, Gus. “I can print my e-reserves there for free and Gus loves reading all the books.”

Burden, who is returning to school after spending time as a stay-at-home mom, shares childcare responsibilities with her husband and nearby relatives. Because her family lives in a one-bedroom apartment, Burden faces unusual obstacles when concentrating on her coursework.

“Last night the guys were playing Hungry Hungry Hippos at bedtime while I tried to read,” she said, yawning. “It ends up being easiest if I study while Gus is in preschool or taking a nap or already in bed.”

Trillian Turner, 22, is a transfer student studying history. A single mother to Athena, 18 months, Turner plays the double bass, wears pigtails and starts her mornings at 5 a.m. by driving a Metro bus to Duvall.

Like Orellana, Turner is responsible for supplying approximately half of her daycare costs. Both Tavien and Athena attend daycare in different facilities in Shoreline while their parents attend classes.

“The resource center gave me a list of 30 places with vacancies.” said Orellana of his search for a provider. “Of these only three actually had spaces for a toddler, and all were significantly far away.”

Daycare for an infant in Seattle is even more difficult to find. Ironically, the only UW-affiliated center, which has sites at Radford Court, Laurel Village and the UW’s Seattle campus, has a three-year infant room waitlist, requiring a reservation before conception.

It is difficult to find childcare in Seattle, and once it is found, the costs can be debilitating. For Turner, daycare costs more than in-state tuition, plus the cost of gas to and from Shoreline every day.

It wasn’t supposed to be this way.

Last year, lobbyists, including the UW’s Graduate and Professional Student Senate, campaigned heavily for childcare funding for staff, faculty and students. Last spring, a childcare bill that would have supplied funds to the state’s four-year universities passed Washington’s House and the Senate. On April 1, 2008, Gov. Christine Gregoire vetoed appropriations for the funds, leaving legislators and lobbyists back at square one.

To counter this, the University of Washington itself increased the SPRC’s grant $50,000 above what had been initially requested by the center. While this helps some, it doesn’t help enough for many parents.

Diana Herrmann, herself a former student parent who has worked at the SPRC for a little more than a year, wished she could do more, and has dedicated herself to doing so. This year she started a list serve to send messages to student parents. She hopes to eventually make it a list serve where parents can support one another and organize activities together.

“Student parents need money for safe, consistent, quality childcare so that they know that their children are well cared for while they are in class, studying or working,” she wrote in an e-mail. “It is hard enough to concentrate on your studies if you are worrying about your child. It’s even harder when you factor in the concerns of buying food and daycare … I wish I had funds enough to cover all of the needy student parents.”

Turner said she has pressures in her dual roles.

“As a student and a parent I have to operate in two worlds,” she said. “During the day I live in the ivory tower of academics, but all the while I live in realest world there is, as a parent.”

Both Turner and Burden express their confidence in their choice to be in school, despite a lack of sleep and budgetary restrictions.

“It feels good to know that what I am doing is for us, I don’t have to wrestle with the guilt many working mothers face because there is no other option,” said Turner. “I made the decision not to waste time feeling guilty about daycare because I need that time to study and go on walks with my daughter.”

Burden’s father earned an MBA while she was a teenager.

“I want to inspire my son to know that anybody can go to school, anytime,” she said. “I want him to see the value of education.”

Reach reporter Elizabeth Brady at features@dailyuw.com.