Tickets are now available for a free, public lecture at Montana State University by Stephanie Land, author of the bestselling memoir “Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay and a Mother's Will to Survive.” The event, which is part of MSU’s First Year Student Convocation, is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 22, at the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse.  

Land is a writer and public speaker known for her memoir, which details her exit from an abusive relationship and experience overcoming food and housing insecurity as a single mother while earning a college degree. In the book, she recounts the events that brought her to a homeless shelter and her journey scraping by as a house cleaner to provide for her young family.  

Driven to create a better life for herself and her daughter, Land cleaned by day, took classes at night and wrote relentlessly as she worked toward a bachelor’s degree in English and creative writing from the University of Montana. Her memoir has been at the top of many bestseller lists, including The New York Times’ list, and is the inspiration for a Netflix series of the same name.  

Members of the public must reserve tickets in advance at the Bobcat Ticket Office or any TicketsWest outlet. Tickets are free, though there is a $2 convenience fee if tickets are reserved online or over the phone. They can be reserved at montana.edu/convocationtickets. 

MSU’s First Year Student Convocation is the formal welcome of the incoming class, where the university focuses attention on the start of the academic, intellectual and personal journey of first-year students. Convocation demonstrates the support of the university and community to help students reach the goal of becoming the graduating class of 2027. Land’s lecture will be part of MSU’s 16th convocation. 

For more information about convocation, visit montana.edu/convocation/.