KATRINA CHARBONNIER, CD, SN – Maeband Scholarship Winner

Katrina Charbonnier is the mother of two boys and is currently attending George Fox University, College of Nursing. She has been a Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) table leader and keynote speaker, as well as the team leader in planning and executing the first woman’s retreat in her church. Katrina is currently involved in a peer mentoring program for black high school students interested in pursuing nursing. Her goal upon graduation is to be a nurse midwife, but she is open to other nursing opportunities. Katrina is also a birth doula and is passionate about reaching vulnerable populations and making improvements to minimize and eliminate health disparities.

What is your passion and mission in life?

Birth work is a passion I hold extremely dear to my heart. I find it to be an incredibly honoring and humbling experience to participate in the miracle of creation. Witnessing the birth of a child, and Mother for that matter, thins the veil between the earthly and the heavenly in a way I am compelled to both pursue as a witness and protect as a servant. God planted the dream to be a nurse-midwife in my heart after the birth of my son in 2011. Since then, I have pursued my education to the best of my ability while raising my sons, moving states to accommodate my husband’s job, and overcoming some challenging health issues. So, the long list of schools I have attended to complete my prerequisites reflects my persistence in all seasons, to answer this calling.

What is your biggest hardship and how did you overcome it?

My son was born shy of five pounds, with lungs too fragile to work on their own. So, he was swept away to receive care before I could even get a good look at his tiny features. The culmination of the experience ended in me sobbing, in pain, without my baby, and too demoralized to advocate for myself. I spiraled into depression so severe it was nearly two years before I felt like myself again. The trauma of my birth experience left me too distrusting of medical providers to seek help that may have lifted my depression sooner. As I reflected on my birth experience I told my husband, “I really think I could have done a better job than that nurse.” Always my champion, he looked at me and said, “Go do a better job.”

How has this adversity affected raising children?

First, I became a doula. In advocating for my low-income clients something in me was healed. Where I once felt powerless, I was now a strong and capable advocate. Where I once felt like a victim, I was now a protector. But, as a doula, I still felt somewhat at the mercy of the medical staff. So, I decided to become a member. In 2021 I was accepted into the nursing program at George Fox University where I have excelled. As a student of the nursing discipline, I am learning resilience, advocacy, confidence, and servant leadership. All characteristics which strengthen me as a mother. What I have learned, I can model for my sons. Sons who are very proud of the work their mama is doing. 

Maeband is excited to inspire and encourage all moms to succeed by helping them through our Scholarship for Moms. A new mom is picked every semester to receive the Maeband Scholarship. You can read HERE who is eligible and how you can apply.