During my senior year of high school, my cousin was pregnant with her second baby. She planned to give birth with a midwife and asked me to attend. I had always been interested in childbirth, but after seeing her labor and her interaction with her midwife, I knew that’s what I wanted to do. Soon after that fortifying experience, I took the necessary steps to attend Florida School of Traditional Midwifery, a three-year program to become a Licensed Midwife.

Magnolia Birth House is my clinical site, where I am doing my hands-on training for prenatal care, birth, and postpartum. I have been supporting pregnant clients in different capacities as a doula and birth assistant before joining Magnolia as a student midwife. At Magnolia I am able to work with knowledgeable and experienced midwives who are imparting the skills and knowledge necessary to become the healthcare provider I want to be. 

The owners of Magnolia not only support pregnant people by providing midwifery care, but they also have The Gathering Place, a community program that offers doula services. The fact that Magnolia is Black owned and has Black midwives is significant as a whole. It has been rewarding to see the difference that congruent care makes.

I look forward to furthering my education and appreciate that midwifery will be my foundation. I love Magnolia and everyone here, including all the clients. Training here has solidified my passion for birth work that I began with initially.