September 14, 2022

Dear MCU Community, 

Despite the challenges midwives regularly face with living the on-call life, rapidly changing licensure requirements and the  unpredictability of birth, our graduates also earned their stripes during a global pandemic.  An accomplishment of this level deserves an equally impressive celebration. Over the past few years the constraints of the pandemic have meant the Graduation Gala has been a virtual event. Because the world is opening up and our trial run of in- person events this past August was so successful, we believe that a Graduation Ceremony in person in April is the best way to honor the monumental achievements of our graduating cohort.

To make the most out of the opportunities that live events offer us for celebrating, we have decided to forego the virtual event this October and instead begin planning the April 2023 live Graduation Gala.

Students who graduated after July 31st, 2021 will have the opportunity to walk across the stage in April of 2023 OR attend virtually in real time through a live stream. 

We are looking forward to honoring our graduates and celebrating with you.  We couldn’t be more proud of the resilience and tenacity of our grads and will begin featuring this graduating cohort on social media with our Friday features each week as a small token of celebration for the midwives changing the world. 

We know that it takes a village to cultivate a midwife and we are planning an event that will match the time, diligence and support it takes to become a Midwife of Excellence. 

I hope you will join me in April 2023 for a live, in person Graduation Gala to recognize the moxie and perseverance of our alums.

Sincerely, 

Kristi Ridd-Young, President
Masha Mesyef, Director of Marketing, Events & Fundraising
Jean Heifner, Marketing & Fundraising Assistant