MOLLY MCLAUGHLIN, FITCHBURG STATE UNIVERSITY ’24, WIANNO CLUB
IT HAS BEEN QUITE A UNIQUE WAY TO START YOUR COLLEGE CAREER. HOW WAS YOUR FRESHMAN YEAR AT FITCHBURG STATE?
“You’re not kidding! I suppose I have not yet experienced a “normal” college life yet, so to me, the last year has been eye-opening and cautious, but still educationally challenging and stimulating. I spent the fall semester on campus but have been back home for the spring semester for an entirely virtual class experience.”
WHAT ARE YOU STUDYING AT FITCHBURG STATE?
“I entered Fitchburg State knowing I wanted to work in the healthcare field, and I have declared for a Nursing major. My freshman year has mainly been introductory classes, but I am really looking forward to next year when I will start my clinicals at the hospital. Frankly, I have known I wanted to be a nurse or a physician’s assistant for as long as I can remember, as I grew up looking up to my mom, who has been a nurse at Cape Cod Hospital for more than 15 years. I have been so inspired by my mom and the stories she tells us at night when she returns home from work. From my point of view, she has maintained an incredibly positive disposition and loved her work for so long, and she genuinely enjoys helping people daily and doing good in the community. I want to be like her, and she has been a perfect role model for me and the work I want to do. I want to help people, just like her.”
HAS THE LAST YEAR BEEN DIFFICULT FOR YOUR MOM AND YOUR FAMILY, WITH YOUR MOM WORKING AT CAPE COD HOSPITAL?
“It has certainly created new challenges and struggles, as she is actually assigned to the COVID floor and has been working that floor since last March. She often works 24-hour shifts, in full PPE head to toe, and at times it was scary for me and my family knowing she was truly on the front lines. Whether she felt the same fear I am not sure, as she still came home each day with that same positive disposition. But every day, she must be incredibly cautious when tending to her patients and needs to maintain that same level of caution when she is home or out in public. She knows she is not just trying to be safe for her or our family, but also for the many patients she works with daily. The way she has handled the last year has been empowering for me to witness and has only furthered my interest in the field and in doing good work like her. Good nurses and healthcare workers are needed now more than ever, and it has inspired me to continue on this path at Fitchburg State.”
AS FOR WORKING IN GOLF, HOW HAS YOUR EXPERIENCE BEEN AT WIANNO CLUB?
“First off, it helped me get a Ouimet Scholarship which is such an incredible honor! As for working at Wianno, I cannot say enough about the membership and staff. I have been a caddie there for more than six summers now, and I still remember the first day I showed up to caddie training. I was the only girl there which was intimidating, but I was motivated to stick with it and prove that I could do anything the boys were doing. Caddying at Wianno does not feel like a job, it is more like going to hang out with friends each day. The membership has been so incredible to me and I am proud to have several consistent loops I maintain on a weekly basis. It was disappointing that I was unable to start caddying this past summer until August, but I cannot wait to get back out there this summer!”
