Life is busy for Myranda Waits. She attends John Tyler full-time as a pre-nursing student, works full-time as a certified nursing assistant, coaches women through childbirth as a certified doula, and is a mother to two small children.
Waits’ ultimate goal is to become a midwife, an idea she traces back to middle school and a friend’s mother who had a home birth. Waits initially planned to enroll at Tyler after high school, but the birth of her first child prompted her to change her plans. After a few years, she was ready to once again focus on her education, so she signed up for classes at Tyler and is now on the path to becoming a midwife, one of the most in-demand fields of nursing.
Waits says “Women need someone to advocate for them. As a midwife and doula, I can serve that purpose.” She plans to enter Tyler’s Nursing Program, a first step to becoming a midwife, and hopes to enjoy a career of delivering babies in the home or in a women’s wellness center, as well as ultimately pursuing a master of midwifery and a doctorate in nursing.
While taking a prerequisite English course at Tyler, Waits reconnected with another passion from her youth: writing. Her English instructor spotted Waits’ talent and encouraged her to continue writing. With that support, Waits wrote Las Brujas, a piece inspired by the women in her family that explores motherhood and the deep, complex connections between generations. The piece took first place in creative non-fiction in Tyler’s 2016 Sherwood Forest Art and Literary Competition and earned Waits an invitation to read her winning story at the College’s 2016 Literary Festival.
Waits enrolled at Tyler looking for a change. She found more than classes leading to a degree; she found mentors and a community of fellow students who also have children. She found a supportive environment that is helping her move to the next phase of her life, a gift she hopes to be able to give to new mothers as a midwife.