‘It feels like a big family’

“Everybody on campus is so friendly; it feels like a big family,” Molly Dingwell from Dunmore said, offering an extra reason she’s glad to be part of Misericordia’s large freshman class.

Of course, her main reason is that the nursing program is “so highly recommended,” Dingwell said.

Echoing that enthusiasm for academics, Julia Sprout of Susquehanna County said, “I heard they have a great education program,” and Jaelyn Baxter from Allentown, who’s majoring in biology with an eye toward becoming a doctor or physical therapist, said one of her high school instructors had attended Misericordia and spoke highly of it.

The three young women are among an estimated 470 incoming freshmen. The university is celebrating its centennial this year and has described the class as the “second largest in Misericordia University’s history.”

For Dingwell, who will be living on campus, and Sprout, who will commute from her home in Springville, Misericordia’s proximity to their hometowns is a plus.

Sprout expects to be traveling back and forth regularly; Dingwell had thought about going to Florida for college before realizing she’d like to be within easy visiting distance of home.

Baxter cited student aid as another reason for her decision; at Misericordia, 99% of students receive financial assistance.

And Dingwell praised “The Bridge,” a program for incoming students she attended before orientation. “The leaders are still checking with us to see how we’re doing,” she said, adding she hopes to become a leader in that program next year, helping new students adjust to campus life.