For alumna Andrea Hoffman ’05, RN, landing the job of Rowland Hall’s all-school nurse has been a dream come true.

“It’s like coming home,” she said.

In this role—created in the summer of 2020 as part of Rowland Hall’s ongoing commitment to community health and safety during the COVID-19 pandemic—Andrea, a graduate of Westminster College’s School of Nursing and Health Sciences, blends her nursing background with her deep affection for the Rowland Hall community. She brings to the school years of experience caring for children of all ages, most recently as a registered nurse and parent educator at Primary Children's Hospital, as well as experience as a Rowland Hall Lifer—someone who attended the school for 12 or more years.

“It’s a nice full-circle thing,” Andrea said, “to support the Rowland Hall community during this difficult time, to be present and answer people’s questions, to make sure that we are doing this right.”

That is such a gift from Rowland Hall: a lifelong community.—Andrea Hoffman ’05, all-school nurse

Andrea works closely with former classmate Gita Varner ’05, project manager for reopening campus, to manage the school’s COVID-19 protocols. The all-school nurse also liaises with families and the Utah Department of Health regarding exposures and cases in the Rowland Hall community. Andrea said it’s fulfilling to use her training to help navigate evolving guidelines and mandates, and to help provide reassurance to the community that has played a major role in her life.

“That is such a gift from Rowland Hall: a lifelong community,” said Andrea, who can recall many moments since her 2005 graduation where the community has supported her—and even changed her life: she credits an Alumni Association event for reconnecting her with Christopher Felt ’06, a former classmate who is now her husband. She said the couple is proud to support Rowland Hall: Chris is a member of the Alumni Executive Board, and they regularly donate to the school, attend events, and volunteer for opportunities like Day of Giving, where, Andrea laughed, they compete to see who can get more people to give to the school.

And because of her years watching the Rowland Hall community come together, Andrea has no doubt her community will continue to rise to the challenges of this pandemic. She is already proud of the clear commitment to health and safety that families have shown so far.

“They are really doing a fantastic job: they’ve been keeping their kids home and being extra cautious any time they have symptoms, they’ve been communicating, and they’ve stepped up to help keep all of us safe,” she said. “We really appreciate that.”

As we move into the winter months, Andrea reminds the Rowland Hall community to continue to be vigilant: wear masks, wash hands often, and maintain social distancing. She also emphasized the importance of limiting gatherings with people outside of your household to protect in-person learning, as data shows that COVID-19 spreads originate outside of classrooms. “Being more mindful of interactions that happen outside of school will help keep our school open and prevent the spread of COVID within our community,” she said.

People