I Have Called You By Name

Who was Mary Magdalene and why does she hold such a valued place in scripture?
Mark 16:9-11
After Jesus rose from the dead early on Sunday morning, the first person who saw him was Mary Magdalene, the woman from whom he had cast out seven demons. She went to the disciples, who were grieving and weeping, and told them what had happened. But when she told them that Jesus was alive and she had seen him, they didn’t believe her.