Politics were left at the door of the Student Life Center Monday night as pro-choice and pro-life groups joined forces to help present "Choosing Motherhood/Choosing Education."

Representatives from Student Health, several campus groups and women who had children while at Vanderbilt led a discussion of the options open to soon-to-be student mothers on a college campus.

The event was hosted by Mary Cady Ford, Vanderbilt alumna and founder and president of "Finished Up," a nonprofit organization created to both encourage college women who become pregnant to finish their education and supporting the mothers both during and after the pregnancy.

"College women need to know that their options are not limited if they become pregnant" said Ford, who gave birth to a baby girl in 2004 at the start of her senior year. "Many women don't come to these events because they are not pregnant. They think they don't need it, but it is actually very important to be informed."

Through testimonies, a video and a panel discussion, the audience had the chance to learn of the many challenges faced by expectant student mothers, but also of the experiences of sheer joy the women had when holding their children for the first time.

"In 1979 I was a single parent in school," said Dr. Linda Manning of the Vanderbilt Center for Integrative Health. "In that day and time most women would not reveal the fact that they were pregnant, but in an odd way in 1977 there were more resources for pregnant women than there is now. It is an odd contradiction. For example, there was housing for women with children (whether they were) married or not."

The founding of "Finished Up" has provided one more resource to help student mothers continue their education while looking after their child.

"Now pregnant college students are not totally helpless at Vanderbilt," Ford said. "The Women's Center and the Student Health Center are able to help, as well as the Financial Aid Center and Housing and the Dean's Office. The Counseling Center and the VU nurse midwives are amazing too."

Ford said she hoped the girls who attended the discussion would come away with a renewed sense of hope.

"Any choice you make during pregnancy is acceptable," she said. "I hope they realize there is no shame in keeping your baby."

According to Ford, "Finished Up" helped four Vanderbilt students in the first five months of the program and has the goal of establishing chapters at 20 universities and colleges across the U.S. by 2011 and 50 chapters by 2013.

Chrystel Marincich contributed reporting to this article.