DSA Award Recipient — Support Personnel

No one understands the critical connection between health and school success more than Elly Chybowski.

For nearly twenty years, Elly Chybowski has been a generous caregiver and fierce defender of a child's right to health services. Access to quality health care is now a reality for hundreds of Cherokee Middle School students and their families.

The needs of her students have taken her far beyond the schools nurse's office and the school day, into the community. She sought out local dentists and eye care professionals to provide free services.

Elly takes a wholistic approach, building her own expertise and tackling barriers to care including transportation and language. Elly learned to speak Spanish, taking classes and serving as a volunteer nurse during a summer in Mexico.

To better serve children, Elly generously collaborates with other professionals. She wrote state guidelines for serving children with diabetes and organized a community-wide group to develop guidelines for ADHD. She trains school nursing assistants, and co-teaches middle school human development classes.

Her impact is felt far and wide but no place to a greater degree than at Cherokee Middle School. Colleagues also benefit from her commitment to wellness. They have recognized a clear connection between the health of their entire community and their friend, Elly Chybowski.

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