LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Rachel Palmer was nominated by her superintendent, Edward Manuszak.

"I am proud to nominate Ms. Rachel Palmer for LifeChanger of the Year," explains Manuszak.  "She is simply amazing!  I am her immediate supervisor, as she is our only District Nurse for approximately 1,836 students in a Pre-K through grade 12 public school district."

Dundee Community Schools is a rural district located in Monroe County, Michigan.  During the past year, as everyone dealt with the global pandemic, Nurse Palmer has been the go-to COVID-19 resource. She has assisted her district while acting as a consultant, confidant, and expert when making health-related decisions. She leads the district's contact tracing efforts when there are positive cases for COVID-19.  

Before the pandemic began, Nurse Palmer created a district-wide program called the "Backpack Brigade," which feeds students over the weekend.  Students are given backpacks filled with food on Friday, and they return them empty on Monday. It's free for families to participate. Nurse Palmer helped to secure thousands of dollars in donations to keep this program up and running during the pandemic, and she made a significant difference in the lives of not only students, but their families.

She has received two nominations for Staff Member of the Month and was selected both times as that month's honoree.  Additionally, she co-chairs her district's Wellness and Sex Education committee.  She handles all of these tasks with a smile on her face and a positive attitude.  She is a great colleague to the staff she services and an excellent role model of how to have grace while there is so much pressure. 

"We are so lucky to have her as our District Nurse," said Manuszak .