Patience, kindness, bravery, and optimism are some key traits required to work in Health Services, especially to be a nurse at a high school with an estimated population of 2,548 students.

Mindy Marra and Heather Sharp are two of BSHS’s nurses, and each possesses the  personality traits required for the demanding job. Whether they are handing out bandaids, dispensing medications, or providing a granola bar to students who have yet to eat, they excel in their role of caretakers.

“Interacting with the students and seeing their families (is) the most important part of my day,” Sharp said.

Sharp has been at BSHS for one year, but has moved all around the district for the past five years. She has been in Health Services for nineteen years.

“I just really love to be able to take care of the students, get to know them and make their day better,” Sharp said.

Marra has been a nurse for twenty-six years. Before coming to BSHS eighteen years ago, she worked in a hospital.

“There are so many important parts of my day, but [the most important part] is seeing my chronic health condition kiddos, getting to touch base with them, check in on them, and helping them manage their illness,” Marra said.

Marra’s favorite part of the job is interacting with students. Getting to know them to form an amicable relationship is an important perk for Marra.

Although the job comes with ample challenges-such as not being able to conclusively diagnose a student’s problem-the job also rewards the hard-working nurses that believe in helping others.