The Lufkin ISD Purple Heart of Excellence Award will be given each month to a nurse who has demonstrated extraordinary care of students. The first recipient of this honor is Necole Wyatt of Garrett Primary. Ms. Wyatt has been with the district for 15 years beginning as a paraprofessional aide at Hackney Primary. She has served as a Certified Nurse Assistant at Garrett Primary for the past three years.

The award is given to school nurses for having a caring nature, detailed records, problem solving skills among other life-saving skills.

Ms. Wyatt said, “I was a summer school assistant for Mrs. Fulbright (head of school nurses for Lufkin ISD) because I took care of a student at Hackney that had a severe medical problem. Mrs. Fulbright told me she knew the best when she sees it and that I needed to be an assistant.”

That was the beginning of her career in caring for children, some of the youngest in the district. Garrett is a 4-year-old campus and according to Ms. Wyatt she loves it because she loves helping the helpless.

She said, “I see anything from bruises, to cuts, to nose bleeds to asthma. Every day is a challenge.”

Mrs. Fulbright said that Ms. Wyatt received this award because she has a way with the ones that need her the most.

She said, “ She was unanimously selected by the committee and then a parent called and just sealed the deal telling us how much she appreciated Ms. Wyatt for taking care of her baby at Garrett.”

Ms. Wyatt has two daughters who are in college preparing to go into the field of healthcare as a nurse and a psychologist.