For Marina Hillard, being a school nurse at Bruce Randolph Middle and High School is grounded in building connections with students and being there when they need support.
“I love working with students, I love working with teachers, so I knew that this is where I wanted to be as a nurse,” Marina said.
Through her daily interactions with students, Marina has become someone they know they can turn to when they aren’t feeling well or simply need someone to check in with them.
“She’s a wonderful nurse,” said Jennifer McCoy, a Denver Health nurse practitioner who works at Bruce Randolph. “Our students in the building love coming to see her.”
High school student Logan Anthony Garcia-Campos has experienced Marina’s support firsthand.
“She’s always willing to ask, ‘How are you feeling?’” Logan said. “If she notices that you’re feeling down or unwell, she’ll immediately ask questions to see what she can do to help you feel better.”
For Marina, those connections are one of the most rewarding parts of working at Bruce Randolph.
“I really love building relationships with students,” Marina said. “Joy comes to me through them.”
Marina also works closely with the Denver Health school-based clinic located at Bruce Randolph, giving students access to additional health care right in their school.
“Every day I refer students, so it’s a wonderful collaboration,” Marina said. “Students are missing less class time, and parents are able to stay at work.”
The partnership is one way Marina and the Bruce Randolph community work together to support students and their education. That teamwork has also contributed to the school reaching a 100% compliance rate with all school and state mandated vaccines for the second year in a row.
“It takes a lot of work and it’s not just me, it’s we,” Marina said.
For Marina, supporting students often comes down to the small moments, noticing when a student needs help, checking in and making sure they leave feeling a little better than when they arrived.
“If they leave here feeling better, a smile on their face, I know that hopefully I’ve brought them a little something that has helped their day,” Marina said. “Even if it’s just in a really small way, that brings me joy every single day.”
By pouring her heart into every small interaction, Marina shows that true health care goes far beyond medicine, making her a truly passionate advocate for the health and happiness of every student at Bruce Randolph.