Mercy In Action College of Midwifery’s

Claudia Booker Memorial Midwife Scholarship

In 2012, Vicki Penwell started a simple scholarship to address the rising maternal mortality and neonatal mortality crisis in America, and her friends Jennie Joseph and Claudia Booker quickly joined in supporting it. Offering scholarships to midwifery students enrolled in Mercy In Action College of Midwifery who are planning to serve communities suffering the greatest loss of life around childbirth is a practical solution to a horrific problem. It was started to allow midwives with a heart to serve but limited resources a chance to become, in Claudia's words, "the ones we have been waiting for."

Pregnancy and birth lay the foundations of health and wellness that can last a lifetime, and midwives positively influence entire families. Mothers and families need extra support around the time of childbirth, and midwives need to be positioned within vulnerable communities to provide it. Too many places in America have become maternity care deserts, where maternity care providers are in short supply. According to the International Confederation of Midwives, every woman, child, and family needs and deserves midwives to serve the community and provide life-saving solutions, yet the world is short about one million midwives. This scholarship has the potential for long-term impact because when you educate a midwife, she serves with skills, compassion, and a unique perspective on the challenges, often serving her community for decades, apprenticing the next generation of midwives during her lifetime.

This scholarship honors Claudia Booker, a midwife, lawyer, teacher, and friend to Mercy In Action who served as our guest lecturer and advisor to our school until her death in early 2020.  Claudia was the volunteer scholarship coordinator for Mercy in Action College of Midwifery and was instrumental in designing our scholarship for maximum impact. At the time of her death, the scholarship was named in her honor.

The Claudia Booker Memorial Midwife Scholarship is awarded annually to select 3rd- and 4th-year students at Mercy In Action College of Midwifery who are committed to serving families in communities that are currently losing the most mothers and babies at birth in America. Applicants must show a strong understanding of the physical and social determinants of health, a plan for creative solutions to address maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity, and a deep connection to at-risk communities.

Write for more details and an application to: info@mercyinaction.edu