This October, Georgetown University hosted the 50th Anniversary Celebration for the Midwifery Program. The celebration commemorates alumni for their remarkable journeys in midwifery while also being joined by staff, students and program supporters.
During the celebration, 37 Hoya Changemakers were recognized for their outstanding efforts as Georgetown alumni, who have contributed significantly to the field of midwifery. WVU School of Nursing alum and faculty, Kelly Lemon, was recognized as one of the Hoya Changemakers.
Speaking on behalf of her achievement, Lemon said, “To be considered so early in my career as someone who has made a ‘significant impact’ by a program that gives me so much inspiration was surreal.”
Lemon graduated from West Virginia University in May 2016 with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and soon after pursued her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) at Georgetown University. Lemon followed her passion for sexual and reproductive health and soon achieved her dreams of becoming a certified nurse midwife and a women’s health nurse practitioner in December 2016.
Lemon’s passion for midwifery is driven by “an indescribable need” to serve her community and her home in West Virginia. Her mission to make West Virginia a healthy and safe place to live starts with ensuring that the most vulnerable and frequently overlooked members of the community receive the necessary services. For Lemon, midwifery offers the unique experience to accompany people throughout their entire journey, not just in a single instance.
“I love educating individuals about their body and their health,” she said. “Understanding and respecting your body is a crucial element of bodily autonomy.”
In addition to being a CNM and a WHNP, Lemon is also an assistant professor at the Family and Community Health Department of the WVU School of Nursing. She also teaches for the WVU School of Medicine in the OB/GYN Department.
“So much of my own practice and motivation stems from the incredible professors I have had along the way,” Lemon said. “I don't know where I would be if some of them hadn't made me feel like my work mattered. I want to be that for someone.”
Reflecting on her time at WVU, she said, “I'm so proud to be working in the place that gave me the start to my entire nursing adventure. I'm proud to be a Hoya, but I am first and foremost a Mountaineer.”
-WVU-
gu/11/06/2023
CONTACT: Wendy Holdren
Director of Communications and Marketing
WVU School of Nursing
304-581-1772; wendy.holdren@hsc.wvu.edu