At Galileo, the school nurse does more than treat bumps and bruises; she brings compassion, wisdom, and a passion for science to the heart of the school. In an interview, she shared her journey to becoming a nurse, her reflections on her time at Galileo, and the values she hopes to instill in each student she encounters. From her favorite classes and career advice to what she loves most about the school community, her responses reveal a deep commitment to helping others and creating a safe, welcoming environment for everyone.
Why did you become a nurse?
I like to generally help people and I find science, science, science interesting.
If you had to take a class at this school, what class would you take?
Probably the anatomy class that Mr. Carter teaches. I see the kids come in for dissection and stuff all the time. It looks cool.
In the time that you’ve been at Galileo, what has been the biggest improvement in your opinion?
Um, that’s a tough one. Well, the lack of COVID. That’s probably the best one for me.
If you weren’t a nurse, what would you be?
I actually, you know what, I would probably have my own business. Um, I probably would do something like a farmer’s market or something like that.
If you could speak to yourself at the beginning of your career, what would you say?
Hang in there. Things change a lot.
What is one important thing that you want every student to know?
That they’re valued for whoever they are. All the different kids and they all have value.
When you come to school, what do you look forward to the most?
Probably seeing the kids and seeing my co-workers.
What is something you love about Galileo?
I love how it feels like everyone has a voice here. Like this, from the students to the teachers too, I feel part of that. And that’s nice.
How long have you been at Galileo?
This is my fourth year.
Do you think you’ve made any lifelong friends by working here?
I think I have.
If you were granted one wish, what would your wish be?
Um, as it relates to school, probably, It would be just for everyone to feel safe. Like, you know, you hear about all kinds of crazy stuff going on in the world. And I just, yeah, my wish would be for everyone to feel safe.
Do you have a favorite story to tell about your life?
Probably not, not just one. I have a lot of different stories, especially related to nursing stuff. Um, not one comes to mind though. I mean, I’ve, I’ve had a pretty interesting life.
How do you, how do you react when running into students outside of school?
Um, I, I kind of react to how they react to me. I see kids all the time outside of school. So sometimes we’ll just smile at each other. Sometimes we’ll wave. I’ve had kids come up and hug me. I kind of wait for them to see how they react. And then I just go.
If you could talk to anyone throughout history, who would it be and why?
Well, I mean, as far as history that I see, probably Jesus. Honestly, I would. Like to talk and get information or answers to questions I have and all kinds of stuff like that.
Out of all the staff at Galileo, who would you be interested in reading an interview like this about?
Um, there’s lots of interesting people. First staff, um, I mean, I always want to know more about like the principal and the vice principal probably, but I mean, any of the teachers, everybody’s got kind of their own story and it’s, I think anybody would be interesting, honestly.
