Mary Herter Nelson, Laurel Ridge’s 2026 Outstanding Graduate for the Middletown Campus, first walked onto campus as a very shy and nervous young woman. But, today, she is graduating with many new friends, leadership experience, positive memories and a degree in education.
After earning her degree, Mary plans to take a year to work, hopefully in a school setting, or possibly as a peer counselor. While she would like to earn some money for further schooling, the gap year is about much more than that.
“My main goal is to determine what particular area of education I would like to work in, because there are so many in the field,” she said. “I’ve always wanted to help people and care for people, which is why I hope to become a religious sister. A majority of the religious orders either are teaching orders or orders that help people who are ill.”
After exploring some possibilities in the medical field, Mary realized she preferred education.
“My mom’s a teacher,” she said. “My mom is my favorite person . . . definitely the one who’s supported me the most in everything.”
Mary, who was homeschooled until college, also found a great deal of support in so many of the faculty and staff at Laurel Ridge, beginning with outreach specialist Thomas Monk.
“When we came here, they gave us a tour of campus, and that was with Thomas,” said Mary, who was very apprehensive to begin college. “He would always wave and nod. For me that was like: I have someone who I know who is supporting me every day that I’m here! That gives you that extra little boost of joy.”
Mary’s original academic advisor, Caroline Walls, and Public Speaking Professor Sarah Pangle helped her to gain confidence in the new college environment.
“Professor Pangle’s guidance and coaxing enabled me to step out of my shell and really blossom,” she said.
Also “in her corner” was TRIO advisor Sasha Dawson.
“TRIO provided so much aid for me throughout my time at Laurel Ridge,” Mary said. “They made sure I was able to stay.”
She chose Laurel Ridge due to its proximity to her home in the Winchester area, and her familiarity with the college. Her mother, Kathy Nelson, had attended the college for a year while studying at Christendom College. Her older brother, Joseph, attended Laurel Ridge and younger sister, Juliana, is graduating today as well. The youngest sister, Abigail, is a current student.
When she first arrived at Laurel Ridge, Mary said she was unsure of herself – she was actually so shy, her mother initially enrolled her. Despite this, she and Juliana decided to take a Student Life trip to an indoor skydiving facility.
“It was wonderful!” she enthused. “It was a little more terrifying than I thought it was going to feel. It was cool, and it brought us into student life. We got to do so many cool things that we would never have been able to do otherwise. We went on the Mystery Bus all the time. It was wonderful because it created such a community – you would go pile in with random people you didn’t know and you would come out having 10 more friends.”
This experience led Mary to become more involved on campus. She would go on to become a Student Ambassador, start the Dance Club, and join the art, creative writing, and Spanish clubs, also becoming a member of Phi Theta Kappa, the honor society for two-year colleges. In 2025, Mary accompanied college officials and fellow students to the General Assembly to meet with legislators for Community College Advocacy Day.
Chris Lambert, coordinator of student leadership, engagement and development, was another positive influence on Mary.
“He goes the extra mile all the time,” she said. “And, Spanish Professor Polly Nesselrodt is amazing! Chris and she are two of the people who nominated me for the Outstanding Graduate award.”
Rich Follett, who taught her Student Development class, also left a positive impression.
“He was the person who really gave me and my sister Juliana the inspiration and the motivation to create a community for ourselves so that we could get the most benefit out of being at the college,” Mary said. “He was fantastic and hilarious. He really made sure we knew where all the resources were and even introduced us to some of the people providing those resources – like Vivi in TRIO who is such a joyful presence on campus.”
Finding out she was this year’s Outstanding Graduate for the Middletown Campus was “mind-blowing.”
“I regard my fellow graduate students very highly and am both humbled and honored to have been chosen from among them,” said Mary.
In his nomination of her, Lambert said, “Mary Herter has made a remarkable impact at Laurel Ridge through her initiative, leadership and consistent engagement.”
“She founded the Dance Club and independently recruited members, marketed events, and organized a highly successful campus square dance,” his nomination continues. “From her early involvement in Mystery Bus trips and campus activities, to her growth as a Student Ambassador, Mary has been known for her approachability, teamwork, and leadership. She has been described as intellectually curious, thoughtful, and a strong critical thinker.”
In her final statements, Mary said she would definitely recommend Laurel Ridge to others, adding she recommends “it to pretty much everybody, all the time.”
“Laurel Ridge has felt like a home and I don’t really want to leave, which is why I took an extra semester,” she said. “I technically graduated last semester. I’m very thankful for the community that Laurel Ridge has provided and grateful to all the teachers and friends I’ve made here.”
Laurel Ridge Community College was known as Lord Fairfax Community College until June 2022. For consistency purposes, the college will be referenced as Laurel Ridge going forward.