As one nominee wrote, “the hallmarks of a truly great nurse are tremendous common sense, unflappability, depth and breadth of clinical knowledge and deep compassion. It is what separates a good nurse from a great nurse. Lori Andress has these qualities in abundance.” Serving as the Academy’s school nurse since 2008, Lori has seen it all. Whether it’s scraped knees, broken bones, a place to rest or sometimes just a hug, students go to Nurse Lori because she makes them feel seen and tended to. From the daycare to the retirees, Lori has made sure that students, faculty and staff are attending school in a healthy environment. Then came COVID-19. Through countless hours of training, weekly testing, contact tracing, research, liaising with local pharmacies and volunteering to vaccinate thousands of people in and outside of the GA community, Lori worked tirelessly to help keep GA open during the pandemic. She participated in planning sessions with school leadership and outside experts to ensure the safety of everyone. Lori has done all of this in addition to the daily workload required of a school nurse and has been the engine keeping the entire GA machine moving forward in times of great fear and anxiety. Another hundred tests, another couple positive cases, another thousand emails to reply to, another terrified parent - she helped everyone with a smile and can-do attitude. Nurse Lori has been a beacon of hope and confidence for the entire GA community, and she continues to be a true warrior on GA’s front line of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lori Dougherty Andress '88