Middlesex CC Graduate Starts Career as Nurse Amid Pandemic

At 18 years old, Erica Paddock faced a decision made by many seniors in high school – where to attend college? Having witnessed her two sisters rack up debt at the four-year colleges they headed toward after graduating – and unsure of what she wanted to do with her life beyond something in healthcare – Paddock opted for a more affordable route.

In addition to helping her avoid “accumulating thousands of dollars in debt,” Middlesex Community College provided Paddock with options. She started at MCC in the hopes of becoming an Ultrasound Sonographer, but when she finished her prerequisites, Paddock realized her true passion lied elsewhere. Although she changed paths, Middlesex made it easy for her.

“I then connected with my advisor, who was lovely and helped me tremendously in this transition,” she said. “In the summer of 2019, I received the awaited phone call – a spot had opened up for me – and I would start my education toward my Nursing degree.”

While working part-time as an Emergency Room Technician, Paddock enrolled in MCC’s full-time day Nursing program. Two weeks before starting, her husband was deployed to Somalia. To keep busy, Paddock threw herself into her studies and campus life.

In her first semester, Paddock became a class representative of the Nursing Club, while in her final semester at MCC, her efforts were awarded with a scholarship. Created in honor of longtime faculty member Marie Ryder’s retirement, the Beacon of Hope Scholarship recognizes a Nursing student for their academic excellence.

Paddock’s success came amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Although this presented new challenges, she believes she was “fortunate to have been a student at MCC” during this time. In the face of these new difficulties – including maintaining students’ access to clinical experiences – the college kept going.

“I missed one in-person clinical during the initial months of the pandemic, but still could receive everything I needed to do,” she said. “MCC was able to work with both the students and the hospitals to ensure we were able to get our hands-on patient care while remaining safe during that unprecedented time.”

Along with a path to a new career, at Middlesex Paddock gained “strong bonds and friendships with my professors.” MCC Professors such as Kate Small, Kerri Sorrentino and Carolyn Walsh – who is now Chair of the Nursing Program – made themselves available to students in the program, answering questions and providing them with valuable resources. With their help, Paddock “was achieving goals I never thought I could,” including getting A’s in her last two Med-Surge classes.

“The time, attention and dedication my professors put into me and my peers’ education was the most memorable aspect,” she said. “These instructors truly taught me the actual value of learning, and I pushed myself every day in class to make them proud.”

After graduating from Middlesex in Spring 2021, Paddock started at Southern New Hampshire University to earn a bachelor’s degree in Nursing. While continuing to take classes, she will start her career as a Nurse at Cambridge Hospital where she has worked as an aide for the past two years. Paddock looks forward to learning “side-by-side with the nurses here, who have also helped guide, teach and nurture me.”

Now 25 years old, Paddock maintains pride in the choice she made at 18 to come to Middlesex. As she begins her Nursing career at Cambridge Health Alliance, she does so knowing she is as prepared as others in the field who are starting with degrees from four-year colleges. She too, passed her examination and got the job she wanted.

“The only difference is I do not have thousands of dollars in debt,” she said. “I feel fulfilled and advocate that people be more open to community colleges and organizations like MCC.”

Part of the Health pathway, the Nursing program at MCC helps students go into – and succeed in – the workforce or transfer to four-year schools with its award-winning and affordable offerings, small class sizes and flexible schedules. For more information, visit https://www.middlesex.mass.edu/discover/dyp_health.aspx to discover a path to a career in Nursing at Middlesex.

If you have ever taken a class at MCC, you are an alum! To share your story – and join the free Alumni Association – contact Amy Lee, Director of Annual Giving & Alumni Relations, at 978-656-3028 or leea@middlesex.mass.edu. Visit www.middlesex.mass.edu/alumni for more information.

To register for MCC’s Fall Mini-mester session II, starting on Monday, November 1, visit www.middlesex.mass.edu/registration/ or call 1-800-818-3434 to register.

Discover your path at Middlesex Community College. As one of the largest, most comprehensive community colleges in Massachusetts, MCC has been a proven leader in education for more than 50 years. Middlesex puts the student first. Meeting each learner where they are, MCC provides them with a safe, welcoming and engaging place to learn. Offering more than 80 degree and certificate programs – plus hundreds of noncredit courses – Middlesex features flexible course formats and a variety of award-winning student support services and resources. Student success starts at MCC!