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Monrovia, March 17, 2026 – Thirty students at the University of Liberia’s School of Midwifery were capped and badged Friday, March 13, 2026, clearing them for direct entry into supervised clinical practice following completion of their required theoretical training.
The capping and badging ceremony, the school’s first, was held in the Tubman Hall Auditorium on the Capitol Hill campus and was attended by parents and guardians, university leaders, and representatives of government partner agencies and private institutions, among others.
Mrs. Cynthia K.B. Jones, program coordinator, said 30 of the 73 students who initially enrolled in the midwifery program completed the rigorous coursework and were part of the capping and badging ceremony.
The school was formally established in 2023 under the leadership of former University of Liberia President Julius Julukon Sarwolo Nelson, who attended the event. Two of the honorees were male, and 28 were female.
“Today’s capping and badging ceremony marks a significant milestone on the professional journey of our students. It signifies that they have successfully completed the required theoretical training and are now prepared to enter a supervised clinical practice,” said Mrs. Jones.
“These students have demonstrated commitment, perseverance, and academic excellence throughout their probationary training period.”
Dr. Bernice Dahn, Vice President for Health Sciences at the University of Liberia, told the honorees that clinical work can be exciting because many picture themselves walking the halls of John F. Kennedy Medical Center with a stethoscope around their neck.
“Everybody gets respect for you. But as a student, it’s not an easy journey. You have to be humble to go through it successfully. You will learn from more senior people, and you will learn from people who are geniuses. And you have to even learn from the patients,” said Dr. Dahn.
She encouraged them to keep researching to discover a whole lot that can be accessed through Google and to do more reading. “If you make yourself available, you will learn. Today at the College of Health Sciences, we are discussing how we will design master’s programs as well.
Today we have a master’s in public health, and there are some nurses who did public health and did a PhD and have come back to teach. So we have some resources to start with,” she added.
Delivering the keynote address, Mrs. Marian M. Tucker-Boimah, President of the Liberia Midwives Association, said the capping and badging of the honorees represented the hope for mothers, newborns, families, and communities across Liberia.
“This moment symbolizes the beginning of a sacred journey. A journey of service, compassion, responsibility, and professional excellence,” said Mrs. Tucker-Boimah.
She added that the honorees have become ambassadors of fraternity and newborn health, reminding them that every action they take as a midwife has the power to save lives.
“Midwife is not just a profession; it is a calling. I hope you’ve been called. Every time a mother safely delivers a baby, every newborn takes a healthy first breath, and every family celebrates new life, a midwife stands quietly behind that miracle,” she noted.
Former UL President Dr. Julius Julukon Nelson thanked his successor, UL’s 16th President Dr. Layli Maparyan, and the administration for their continuous support of the School of Midwifery and the College of Health Sciences.
He thanked God for the honorees’ commitment and dedication to the people of Liberia by being useful midwives. “I will pray that all of you going to the clinical will be successful in Jesus’ name,” said Dr. Nelson.
Rev. Dr. Sodey C. Lake, a midwifery faculty member, described the school’s first capping and badging ceremony as a defining and historic milestone for the institution.
She said it signifies a critical step in the professional formation of ULCHS students as they transition from foundational learning into clinical responsibility and ethical accountability.
