Laurel Ridge Community College Welcomes More Than 3,100 Students for Fall Semester

Classes are underway at Laurel Ridge Community College, where more than 3,100 students have enrolled for the fall semester, and college officials say there is still time for others to get started.

New and returning students arrived on Monday to begin the semester, with faculty and staff on hand to help them find classrooms, answer questions, and settle back into campus life.

Laurel Ridge President Kim Blosser spent Monday morning at the Middletown Campus greeting students and helping point them in the right direction.

“It’s always exciting to welcome students to campus on the first day of classes, whether it’s their first day here, or whether they’re returning students,” Blosser said. “The students are at the heart of what we do here, and all of us are here to help them find success. I’m looking forward to another year of changing students’ lives.”

Among the college’s most popular academic pathways this semester are Nursing, Health Sciences, General Studies, Education, Business Administration, Engineering and Science.

For second-year student Anna Schultes, the first day also meant helping newcomers experience the same kind of welcome she received.

Schultes, who is studying in the General Studies pathway, serves as a Student Ambassador. She spent part of Monday morning at a welcome table, where students could get directions, pick up a snack, and learn more about the college.

“I’m just so happy to be back,” Schultes said. “I’ve been looking forward to this. My first year was amazing. I met so many people, and I joined the Student Ambassadors.”

She also credited Laurel Ridge faculty with making her first year a positive experience.

“Our professors here are amazing — it’s hard for me to choose a favorite one because they’re so sweet, so willing to help you,” Schultes said. “My first year was a dream. I wish I could take my whole education here!”

Enrollment figures as of Aug. 18 show students attending Laurel Ridge from across the Northern Shenandoah Valley and surrounding communities. The figures do not include dual-enrollment students and are expected to increase as additional students register.

Frederick County had the largest enrollment among the listed localities with 770 students, followed by Winchester with 569 and Fauquier County with 539.

Shenandoah County accounted for 370 students, while 345 students from Warren County were enrolled. Laurel Ridge also reported 117 students from Page County, 112 from Clarke County, and 39 from Rappahannock County.

Another 490 students were enrolled from outside the college’s service area.

Students who have not yet enrolled still have opportunities to attend Laurel Ridge this fall. In addition to its traditional 14-week classes, the college offers shorter sessions beginning later in the semester.

Those options include 12-week, seven-week, and five-week courses, allowing students to begin their studies after the traditional start of the semester.

The shorter sessions can also provide options for current students who want to add coursework later in the fall.

Students interested in enrolling in an upcoming session can find application and registration information at laurelridge.edu/get-started/.

With the first day now behind them, Blosser said the focus remains on helping students reach the goals that brought them to Laurel Ridge in the first place.

“The students are at the heart of what we do here,” she said.