DONNA WENZEL
Eleven children later, she studies nursing
By Marti Covington

Donna Wenzel with 9 of her 11 children.

Once, when Donna Wenzel met a woman who had 11 children, she laughed, wondering how she could possibly keep a family of that size together without losing her sanity.

Today, Wenzel understands.

The Montpelier mom has 11 children of her own — and a full load of nursing classes, clinicals and labs at John Tyler Community College — to keep her busy.

"I always knew I wanted a large family," said Wenzel, a calm, neatly dressed woman with a peaceful demeanor and a quick smile. "I never put a number on it, but that was my goal."

As Wenzel sat on the living-room sofa recently in her large, rustic-style home, six of her brood approached her within minutes. A loud chorus of "Mo-om, I need to talk to you now!" and "Mo-om, come on, what are you doing?" repeated itself over and over again.

First it came from 9-year-old Teresa. Then 11-year-old Claire. Then it was Jacob, 12, and Emily, 8. Next was 17-year-old Lee, who had just come home from his lifeguarding job. Last was Joey, 5, clad in an outfit he picked out: a red-collared shirt, dressy suit vest and dark pants.

Wenzel handled each interruption with the practiced, soft-voiced discipline of a professional, warning her children that by the time she counted to three, they needed to be gone. Most disappeared before she had finished saying "one."

Eleven caricatures represent Donna Wenzel's children. She has been attending nursing school at John Tyler Community College and was recently picked as one of 30 people worldwide to win a scholarship from Phi Theta Kappa.

She has six boys and five girls, ranging in age from 5 to 22. Three are in college in California. The rest are still at home.

Wenzel also gets help from the children's father, Neil Wenzel, from whom she is separated. He comes over regularly to take the younger ones to activities and is very involved in their lives, she said.

"You have to be organized for daily upkeep," Wenzel said, describing what it takes to keep things running smoothly. "You have to be flexible, adaptable and intuitive to meet everybody's needs."

But what sets Wenzel apart from other mothers is not just her large family. It is that she not only makes time for each child but also pursues her own interests, such as becoming a nurse practitioner.

She applied to the Virginia Community College System's Commonwealth Nursing Program, a fast-paced course of study that combines online classes with traditional clinicals. Wenzel was picked for one of the 10 spots in the program at John Tyler Community College.

"If I'm doing dishes, I can go run and do some  homework," she said. "If it wasn't online, I wouldn't be able to do it."

Wenzel excelled in her coursework, established close relationships with the others in her program and joined Phi Theta Kappa, an international honor society for academically successful students at two-year colleges.

A call from the Phi Theta Kappa international office on July 4 told her she had won the Leader of Promise Award, one of its most coveted scholarships. Wenzel was one of 30 students worldwide chosen for the $1,200 award.

"I just submitted my application and crossed my fingers," Wenzel said. "I was really surprised. It made for a very nice celebration."

With 11 children, she's already had to fill a number of roles. Gifted student and future medical professional won't be too difficult. "I do a lot of nursing now anyways," she said with a chuckle.