Cheryl M.

Nominated by Nancy H.

Cheryl is a colleague that inspires confidence and a commitment to keep children in the forefront of all we do everyday. She is a school nurse at our small school and wears many hats in her daily work. She is compassionate and highly skilled. She is particular about the details surrounding each child and family in her care and never forgets that her patients cannot communicate easily due to their significant hearing loss. She attends American Sign Language classes weekly to improve her ability to communicate with our students and she uses humor very effectively to help staff and students, alike, to remain calm. She is a rare and trusted colleague who never hides behind her written job description to avoid advocating for what is right, clinically and or ethically. We are very fortunate to have such a dedicated and caring person serving our students. I have worked with many school nurses in my 30 years in special education. All have worked hard and been caring. Cheryl stands out because she is actively involved as a Health Educator as well as a nurse. She is committed to ensuring that deaf and hard-of-hearing children develop informed understandings about their bodies and their general health. She is in and out of every classroom teaching, encouraging, speaking with staff and parents, and even publishes a health column in our school newsletter. She could make so much more money elsewhere, but she has decided to remain and dedicate herself to making a difference with this group of patients, instead. Whether she is awarded this honor or not, we are still winners for having her in our midst every day at The Learning Center for Deaf Children.