Nurse At Local High School Wins Prestigious Award

MCHENRY COUNTY, IL — Nicole Class, a nurse at McHenry Community High School, has been picked as the recipient of the prestigious 2024 Lina Rogers Award for school health professionals.

The award was presented on Feb. 23 during the McHenry County Department of Health's professional symposium, which was held at Northwestern Medicine's Huntley Hospital.

Named after Lina Rogers, a pioneer in public health nursing in the early 20th century, the annual Lina Rogers Award recognizes individuals who demonstrate outstanding dedication to school health. Class's contributions align with the principles set by Lina Rogers, emphasizing disease management, hygiene, and health education, according to public health officials.

Class joined the McHenry Community High School staff in December of 2021 and has worked in the health office at the upper campus and served about 1,600 students in grades 10 to 12.

Patrice Frederick, assistant principal of student services at McHenry Community High School, nominated Class for the award, recognizing her exceptional contributions to student health and well-being. Frederick said Class has quickly emerged as an unofficial department leader in her short time at McHenry Community High School.

In addition to attending to the Health Office's routine needs, Class actively participates in Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings, Section 504 meetings (ensuring student accommodations are in place to remove barriers to learning), provides crucial medical training to administration and staff, takes the lead in medical situations and offers support to parents with their questions and concerns.

Amidst these accomplishments, Class undertook additional studies to complete the School Nurse Certification program.

Class’s commitment extends beyond the traditional school nursing role.

She played a vital role in the district planning committee, contributing to the redesign of the 4th year of the Biomedical Science Program.

Her involvement included grant writing, room design for the new CNA program, and establishing community partnerships to enhance clinical experiences for students. Leah Pelletier, a Biomedical science teacher at McHenry Community High School, praised Class's passion for nursing, noting her inspirational impact on students and her dedication to preparing them for futures in healthcare.

"Nicole is passionate about school nursing and nursing in general. She took time earlier this year to come speak to my Medical Residency students about her nursing career which included labor & delivery nursing and correctional care," Pelletier said. "She was inspiring to my students and was a great example for them of someone who loves what they do. She is enthusiastic about preparing our students for futures in health care by providing the opportunity for them to become CNAs. This certificate will open so many doors for students of all backgrounds and socioeconomic status to have equal opportunities towards reaching their goals. She is an above and beyond school nurse."