LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Leslie Seals was nominated by her colleague, Cindy Sheldon.

"I first met nurse Leslie Seals when I was the director of Jefferson Parish Schools' Summer Arts Program," explains Sheldon. "Nurse Seals was my site nurse, and she cared for the well-being of students with medical challenges so they could attend the program. She was an asset to our program because she truly cared about the well-being of each and every student, not only the students with medical issues. Nurse Seals trained the entire staff and I on how to handle emergency medical issues in case something occured when she wasn't on campus. I use the information she gave during those trainings on my school campus now that I am a principal." 

"When I was appointed principal of George Cox Elementary, it was a pleasant surprise that Nurse Seals was our school-based nurse. I knew she was an expert in the nursing/medical profession and that she was dedicated to children in our school system. Nurse Seals is an integral part of our school family. She is a team player who all school-based employees and our community can turn to for medical advice," said Sheldon. 

Nurse Seals not only cares for student and adult needs on campus, but serves as the COVID-19 tracker for the school. She is the school expert on the protocol for quarantining students who either have COVID or have been exposed to it. She uses her medical expertise and knowledge of COVID protocol to make important decisions at the school.

"When there was an incident of faculty and staff members contracting COVID, Nurse Seals was proactive in contacting the district and myself to inform and recommend that we switch to remote learning for the safety of all on our campus," said Sheldon. 

Nurse Seals is always available by phone, including weekends and holidays. The faculty and staff reach out to her during those times, and she always contacts them to provide medical information, even when it is not a work day.

"Our entire school community depends on her, and we are so very lucky to have her on our campus," said Sheldon.