Cindy Henry transitioned from LPCC student to employee

The opening of the Luray-Page County Center changed the course of Cindy Henry’s life at a time when she was facing the loss of her livelihood.

The Luray High School graduate had been working at the Vanity Fair Wrangler annex as an inspector and assembly line worker for 10 years when it closed. Before that, she had spent eight years with O’Sullivan, making doors for Lincoln Continentals.

When V.F. Jeanswear went through a corporate downsizing, the Wrangler annex on North Hawksbill Street was purchased by the town of Luray. Two years later, in January 2006, through the hard work of Luray Town Council, the Page County Board of Supervisors, then-Laurel Ridge President John “Ski” Sygielski and others, the LPCC opened its doors in that building.

Among those first students was Henry. She said college officials had visited the jeans factory prior to its closure.

“When [English instructor] Gail Price came to Wrangler, she kind of talked us into it, some of us older people who were scared to death,” said Henry.

She said the Trade Act allowed the laid-off workers to collect unemployment while taking classes at Laurel Ridge.

“Quite a few of us olders did that – something I didn’t think I would ever do,” noted Henry, of becoming a full-time college student nearly 24 years after graduating from Luray High School. “I really didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I wanted something in computers because I knew that was the thing.”

Henry ended up earning an associate degree in Information Systems Technology with a Networking Engineering specialization, as well as three career studies certificates: Networking Specialist, Networking Engineering Professional and Web Design Specialist.

As someone who didn’t enjoy high school, Henry hadn’t thought she would go to college. However, once she arrived at Laurel Ridge, she wanted to succeed. Henry’s daughter, Amy, had gone to Laurel Ridge’s Middletown Campus the year before and then transferred to Longwood University.

“At that same time, we were both going to college,” said Henry. “When I first came here, I didn’t know what to expect. I was scared.”

Returning to school ended up being “exciting,” she said and gave her a sense of pride. Many of her fellow students had worked at Wrangler, as well.

“A lot of them are around Luray still with jobs the college helped them attain,” she said.

Partway through her time at the LPCC, Henry was hired there as a work-study student. She manned the front desk, helping students enroll, answering phone calls and the like. She was hired as a part-time employee in May 2008, and after 18 years, is retiring in late February.

“I really enjoy my job,” Henry said. “I’ve always liked my job. I like meeting different people and helping the ones who are scared like I was. It’s enjoyable to meet new people. When the older students come here now, I tell them my story; I say, ‘I was scared, but you will be all right.’”

She doesn’t miss her days working in manufacturing.

“It’s definitely a lot better working at Laurel Ridge than those two jobs,” Henry said. “It was hard on your body.”

The move to Jenkins Hall five years ago was like moving to “a brand new house” to her.

“I think we’ve got a lot more room to grow here,” said Henry. “This is nice – something we can be proud of.”

While she is looking forward to getting some things around her house done in her retirement and will have more time for her resell business on eBay and Facebook Marketplace, she will miss her coworkers.

“All the friends I met at the other campuses, they helped me a lot when I was learning new rules and new processes,” Henry said. “Laurel Ridge has really been good to me over the years. And, I couldn’t have done all this without the support of my husband Charlie.”