Alex Zimmermann returned to West Chicago Community High School as the new school nurse for her first full year this past August.
Zimmermann, known as ‘Nurse Alex’ to the students, returned to West Chicago to fill in the open, full-time role as nurse. Zimmerman grew up in the area and attended West Chicago when she was in high school; she still lives in the community.
Zimmerman thought nursing would be a good career option after being influenced by two former teachers in high school.
“When I was a student here, I had a teacher who was a nurse, before she was a psychology teacher here. She was a big influence on me,” Zimmerman said, speaking of Barb Laimins, who retired from WEGO several years ago.
After graduating from Northern Illinois University, Zimmerman worked in an elementary school, and for the last 10 years, was employed at a doctor’s office. She knew she wanted to get back into school nursing and decided that a return to West Chicago would be perfect.
“It’s a setting I’ve always enjoyed. It feels very familiar, but then at the same time, it feels very different too,” Zimmerman said.
In her free time outside of school, Zimmerman can be found spending lots of time with her kids. She often takes her kids to parks, nature centers, and children’s museums to keep them entertained and busy during the summer.
“We just really did a lot of exploring and stuff with them,” Zimmerman said.
Moving into the autumn season, Zimmerman is already thinking ahead to disease prevention, and encourages students to partake in “some good handwashing. Cover your mouth if you’re sneezing or coughing. Stay home if you have a fever or diarrhea or vomiting. Those are the standards.”
