By Brooke Denlinger ‘25
Were people joking when they said college would be the best and worst years of your life? They weren’t. Take 20-year-old nursing student Paige Denlinger for instance, where she works three jobs, has class almost daily, and probably gets a total of 20 hours of sleep a week. Despite all that, she has also met some of her favorite people through these experiences.
Denlinger has known she has wanted to be a nurse ever since she was young, and knew that was what her future held when she graduated from Conestoga Valley High School in 2021. She now majors in nursing at Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences.
“I originally chose it [Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences] because it did dual enrollment in high school, so I already had credits that went towards the institution,” said Denlinger, “but now I take advantage of the tuition reimbursement because of where I work so I can just take it that way.”
Denlinger lives at home with her family, and enjoys being able to see them while still being a college student. She also likes the perks of saving money on groceries and rent.
Since she chose the accelerated program, she will be graduating in spring of 2024.
About her after school plans,“still up in the air right now, but I hope to work at Women and Babies in labor and delivery or in their couplet unit,” Denlinger said.
Denlinger’s schedule is always filled, and not just with class or clinicals. She has three jobs that include babysitting a 5-month-old two days a week and working night shift at Women and Babies Hospital as a labor and delivery nurse’s aid 20 hours a week. To top it off, she also works at Lancaster Airport’s flight school.
“Could you have asked more of a complicated question?” Denlinger said when asked about jobs and work.
Although there is so much to keep track of, she feels that she doesn’t get overwhelmed and has her life pretty in order.
With all of this work, someone could question whether she has a social life. Luckily, her social life comes to work with her.
“I enjoy the group of friends I’m with and we study really well together, otherwise I don’t think it would be as enjoyable as it has been,” noted Denlinger.
She has made great connections with people other the years, and that has been what has gotten her through nursing school.
Now that it is almost 2024, the pressure is on as the graduation date creeps up. Denlinger doesn’t seem to fret too much.
“Yes and no, I’m excited about it, but I’m still very nervous about the future,” Denlinger added.
Does college still sound bad? Yes and no, but for Paige Denlinger, she truly did have the best and worst years of her life. Now she is off to the real world, with her friends by her side and the memories that were made. It just goes to show that hard things are worth it in the end.