Hetepu! My name is Jazmin Rice and I’m a first year midwifery student at Bastyr University. I’m excited to get started doing midwifery work in the community. I have been on this birth work journey for just over a decade, and became focused on midwifery five years ago while meditating on my purpose during the pandemic shutdown. My goal is to do my part in improving maternal and fetal/infant health outcomes in the Melanin Enriched community by creating a safe space to learn, give birth, and heal from the factors shaping poor outcomes.

I grew up in Tacoma and have lived in and around this area for most of my life and plan to practice mostly in the Tacoma area post-graduation. I spend most of my free time (outside of school and being a mother) writing and performing poetry, or meditating and connecting with my community. I also enjoy being in nature, reading, and watching anime. I am good with plants in theory, but am often too busy to keep up with the overwhelming amount of plants I attempt to care for each year. This year I’ll try to keep it simple and hope for the best.