Cahaba Heights Elementary Nurse Wins School Nurse Of The Year

VESTAVIA HILLS, AL - The role of a school nurse is often an unsung job, and the value they bring to a school frequently goes unrecognized. However, one local school nurse definitely turned heads, as Vestavia Hills Elementary Cahaba Heights nurse Julie Corley was named Alabama’s School Nurse of the Year.

Corley received the award earlier in July during the Alabama State Department of Education’s Summer Conference in Mobile. She was recognized during the conference for excellence in the field of school nursing and for going above and beyond the call of duty. She was nominated for the award by Vestavia Hills Elementary Cahaba Heights principal Alicia Hunsberger.

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Corley has been a school nurse at Vestavia Hills Elementary Cahaba Heights for eleven years. Prior to her career in the Vestavia school system, Corley was a pediatric and neonatal intensive care nurse.

Nurses who are eligible for the state award must have at least two years’ experience in the field and receive at least five letters of recommendation. Corley said her recommendation letters came from students’ families, other school nurses, and a professor in the school of nursing at Samford University which Corley supports as a student liaison.

“It’s a very big honor and I was shocked to receive it,” Corley said of the state award. “All of our school nurses could have received this award because of how great they are.”

Hunsberger described Corley as “extremely resourceful and someone who takes initiative in a variety of ways around our school.” In addition to serving as school nurse, Corley coordinates the annual VHECH Walk to School Day each fall and sponsors the school’s Girls on the Run team, Hunsberger said.

“She encourages a healthy lifestyle not just for our students but for our entire faculty and staff as well,” Hunsberger added.

Photo via Vestavia Hills City Schools