Barrington School Nurse Up For 'LifeChanger Of The Year' Award

BARRINGTON, RI — A school nurse at Sowams Elementary School was one of four Rhode Island teachers nominated for the national "LifeChanger of the Year Award."

School nurse teacher Denise Flores was nominated by her colleague Carolyn Coulson for her leadership and dedication to helping the Barrington community through the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I have had the pleasure of knowing Denise Flores professionally for the past few years," Coulson said. "She is a leader in the Rhode Island school nurse community. Her commitment and dedication to her profession are admirable."

The "LifeChanger of the Year Award recognizes an educator's ability to make life-changing differences for the students in their community. As the lead nurse for her district and as a National Board of School Nurses member, Coulson said Flores went above and beyond to bring together other nurse leaders in Rhode Island to support each other during these challenging times.

"Denise is a person who I personally turn to with questions around a myriad of topics, such as writing quality protocols for student conditions, dealing with overwhelming burdens placed on school nurses in the era of COVID, and getting quality health care options to underserved families and populations," Coulson said. "Despite challenges personally and professionally, Denise is always available to chat, help or give guidance. We are extremely lucky to have a school nurse teacher of this caliber."

Each school year, LifeChanger of the Year receives hundreds of nominations from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Eighteen individual LifeChanger of the Year awards will be given during the 2021-2022 school year. Prizes for winners range from $3,000 to $10,000 for the school/district.

A spokesperson for LifeChanger of the Year said winners will be announced in early 2022.