Natasha Williams, school nurse at Benjamin Stoddert Middle School, was recently named the inaugural Nurse of the Year for Charles County Public Schools (CCPS).

She has worked for CCPS since the early 2000s, spending her 23-year career at Stoddert.

“More than just a nurse, she is a counselor, advocate, problem-solver and team player—wearing many hats with grace and heart,” Tami Dahm, administrative intern at Stoddert, said. “Her ability to build trusting relationships creates a safe and supportive environment where students feel seen and valued, and staff feel reassured knowing she’s always there to help.”

Nursing services in CCPS are provided through a partnership between the school system and the county’s department of health. Desiree Colvin, school health program manager, said the office solicited nominations from CCPS staff and others to name the CCPS Nurse of the Year.

A committee made up of staff in the CCPS Student Services department sifted through the nominations to name Williams this year’s recipient.

“I was pretty excited that she won,” Colvin said. “Nurse Williams has been with the program for over two decades giving dedicated service to students.”

Reading the nominations showcased how much Williams means to the Stoddert community. “Reading the nominations was so much fun. You can just tell how loved she is, how valued she is,” Colvin said. “That speaks to the kind of person she is, the kind of nurse she is and the care she gives.”

Growing up in Ohio, Williams had a role model in her mother, who is a retired nurse. Her mother would take her to work sometimes. “I would think I was the nurse,” Williams joked.

After graduating high school at 16, Williams enrolled in nursing school at Ursuline College in Ohio. Following graduation, she took a job with the Veteran’s Health Administration (VA) where she worked in the orthopedic unit before moving to medical-surgical nursing (med surg).

When she married a military man, they began moving due to his U.S. Air Force career. Williams continued in nursing. In California, she worked med-surg, in England she was a nurse educator, teaching childbirth classes and working with the American Red Cross. She found her way back to the VA when the family was stationed in Washington State. When they moved to Oklahoma, Williams worked for the military in the multi-service unit, called on to treat various health issues. They family was stationed in Japan where Williams worked in family advocacy leaning into the public health aspect of nursing, visiting new mothers and teaching them about childcare.

After landing in Maryland, Williams worked at Southern Maryland Hospital in Clinton — now Med-Star Southern Maryland Hospital Center — in the renal unit and as a charge nurse. Wanting a better work-life balance that would allow her to be home more with the couple’s children, Williams came to CCPS.

“I picked Stoddert and have been here ever since,” she said. The nurse supervisor at first placed her at an elementary school but asked if she would like to give middle school a try. “Ok, I’ll try it,” Williams remembered. “I think that’s where God put me. I bonded with the kids, been through many principals and staff and just enjoyed it.”  

Students arrive to middle school in sixth grade with little know how of managing their own health needs — from chronic conditions to everyday issues. By the time they’re in eighth grade, most have matured to understanding and managing their personal health concerns equipped with knowledge gleaned from Williams and their other health providers.

“You see the kids mature so much,” she said. “We can see the growth. That’s rewarding.”

A school health nurse can see students and staff for any health-related reason. A rolled ankle to measuring blood sugar levels, an allergy headache to assisting students who rely on gastrostomy tube feedings. Along the way, school nurses teach students how to care for themselves and advocate for their own health.

“We’re here for students when they fall ill or get injured during the school day. And we’re here for emergencies,” said Colvin of school nurses. “But there are students who couldn’t go to school if we weren’t here. Students who need care for Type I diabetes, asthma or chronic health conditions that being in a school building learning would be next to impossible if they didn’t have someone to help them.”

At Stoddert, students and staff appreciate the support Williams provides. 

“Nurse Williams takes care of us,” Zion Smith, an eighth grader, said.

“Her impact reaches every corner of the school, and her presence makes our entire community stronger,” Dahm added. “She is, truly, a little bit of everything to everyone.”

Williams will retire at the end of the school year. She and her husband plan to move to Florida where she’ll craft, they’ll travel and “just relax,” Williams said.

Along with Williams, Diane Gardiner, the school nurse at the Robert D. Stethem Education Center, was recognized for her dedication to the position. Gardiner, who has been a school nurse for 27 years, is set to retire at the end of the school year.

About CCPS

Charles County Public Schools provides 28,162 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 38 schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.

The Charles County public school system does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or disability in its programs, activities or employment practices. For inquiries, please contact Dr. Mike Blanchard, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (students) or Nikial M. Majors, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (employees/ adults), at Charles County Public Schools, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building, P.O. Box 2770, La Plata, MD 20646; 301-932-6610/301-870-3814. For special accommodations call 301-934-7230 or TDD 1-800-735-2258 two weeks prior to the event.  CCPS provides nondiscriminatory equal access to school facilities in accordance with its Use of Facilities rules to designated youth groups (including, but not limited to, the Boy Scouts).