40 Under Forty 2020: Dr. Jennifer (Zorge) Litchfield
Photo | Matthew Wright
Dr. Jennifer Litchfield
- Title: Assistant dean & chief nurse administrator
- Company: Becker College, in Worcester
- Residence: Shrewsbury
- Birthplace: Worcester
- Colleges: Regis College, Framingham State University, Framingham State College, Becker College
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Dr. Jennifer Litchfield considers herself an ultimate townie, living in the same Shrewsbury neighborhood she and her husband both grew up in. The mother of a 10-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy is heavily involved in her community, from co-leading her daughter’s Girl Scout Juniors troop to her membership in the Women’s Initiative, an advocacy group working toward positive change for girls.
She volunteers for the United Way of Central Massachusetts, is an active member of her parish, St. Anne’s, and serves on her kids’ school system’s equity and anti-racism committee. Then there’s Litchfield’s day job as an assistant dean at Becker College for the School of Nursing and Health Sciences in Worcester and the college’s nurse administrator. Litchfield has helped bring in notable scholarships to the small private school, including a $150,000 grant for a simulation lab for the School of Nursing, and scholarships for two nursing students. She brings not only an administrator’s mindset but also a real-world one, having spent much of her career as a registered nurse at both UMass Memorial Medical Center and Reliant Medical Group, both in Worcester.
What was your hardest career achievement? Earning my doctorate. I started my degree when my son was 1 and my daughter was 3, while working full-time and holding a part-time job. I would wake up at 4 a.m. to work on my thesis, go to work for 8 a.m., get the kids from school, then karate, dinner, bath, and bedtime. I would then study until midnight. As long as I had four hours of sleep I was good! I am thankful for my husband and my family as my support system.
Whose career do you most want to emulate? Ruth Bader Ginsburg is my hero! She attended Harvard Law after she started a family, while pushing through many gender equalities.
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