For the last several years, the Mercersburg News has named a Person of the Year to highlight an individual’s (or sometimes group’s) outstanding work, inspiring spirit, and exemplary accomplishments within the Mercersburg Academy community. Like so many other aspects of school life, this practice was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The News is glad to be able to revive this tradition, this time at the start rather than the end of the year.
For the 2021-2022 academic year, the News has chosen to recognize Dr. Laura Nickerson.
Nickerson serves as the Director of the Rutherford Health and Wellness Center. Her most notable accomplishment is leading the school through the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. “Dr. Nickerson's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic has been nothing short of remarkable. It is hard to imagine how we would have navigated the last couple of years without her and her amazing staff,” says Head of School Quentin McDowell P ‘24.
Nurse Mehret Kidane, a longtime staffer in the health and wellness center, said, “At the beginning of the pandemic, I was unsure on what kind of issues I would be faced with, and was very concerned for myself and how the virus would affect what I do as a nurse on a daily basis, but because of Laura' leadership we are able to get through it and know how to handle it. Her clear guidance and excellent leadership skills are much appreciated.”
“She is tireless in her devotion to her work. She is calm in a crisis,” said Associate Head for School Life Julia Maurer ’90, who has worked closely with Nickerson during the pandemic to ensure that the school complies with mandates from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. “She is a ROCKSTAR and I love working with her.”
Health and Wellness Center Assistant Maranda Sheffeild said, “Dr. Laura Nickerson possesses unlimited qualities in characteristic traits that include, but are not limited to, honesty, confidence, compassion, and exceptional leadership. On a daily basis she engages her employees, students, faculty, and staff with knowledge that continues to allow the school and its activities to progress without skipping a beat.”
Keeping the community safe is just one of Nickerson’s many accomplishments: “She has also done some remarkable things to advance our school's approach to health and wellness,” says McDowell, “including forging a formidable partnership with Meritus Health, expanding our mental health counseling department, raising our operating standards to align with best practices, and much more.”
You can truly tell she is a key part of the Mercersburg community by the responses of its members: “Dr. Nickerson truly and deeply cares for the students in our community,” says assistant dean of students Coleman Weibley. “At the end of the day, she really wants what is best for those that she is charged with caring for.”
Weibley added, “[During Nickerson’s tenure,] services became free for students. She and her team are working on a health and wellness curriculum for all grade levels… oh, and did I mention she puts snacks out at the health center?”
Nickerson holds a doctorate of nursing practice, advanced leadership in health care from Regis University, a master’s of science in nursing from Walden University, and a bachelor’s degree in nursing from St. Lawrence College. Before coming to Mercersburg, she worked as a Registered Nurse at Maine Medical Center in Portland, ME. She also spent four years at the Gould Academy as Director of Health Services. Her daughter Ellie Williams is a 2022 graduate of Mercersburg studying nursing at Thomas Jefferson University and her son Gavin Williams is an upper middler.
Coleman
What are some notable things she has done (pandemic and out of pandemic)?
Dr. Nickerson is undoubtedly one of the hardest working individuals on our campus, in my opinion. She brought a sense of leadership and understanding to the Health and Wellness Center at the start of a pandemic. She really helped the school pioneer our way through these unprecedented times, all while trying to make the Health and Wellness Center feel like a resource for students. She worked with the business office to make many of the services free (which hopefully encourages students to go), and has spent a lot of time making sure the Health and Wellness Center feels less like a stuffy doctor's office and more like a place where students will find comfort and peace.
What are some of her best character traits?
Dr. Nickerson truly and deeply cares for the students in our community. At the end of the day, she really wants what is best for those that she is charged with caring for.
How was she impactful during the pandemic?
As I said above, she helped lead and guide the school through the pandemic and is probably the reason we have been able to stay open as long as we have. She (and her team) have had hours of testing and many late nights helping students and families plan their quarantines. Dr. Nickerson was responsible for most of the research and reporting on the methods of slowing the spread and helping to recommend to the Head of School how we should proceed.
What was the success of the school during the pandemic and after as a result of her leadership?
We were able to stay open. Services became free for students. She and her team are working on a health and wellness curriculum for all grade levels. . . oh, and did I mention she puts snacks out at the health center?
Maranda Sheffield
6:57 AM (15 hours ago)
to me
Dr. Laura Nickerson arrived at the Health and Wellness Center at the height of the pandemic and immediately put a full effort into finding the best strategy to get testing started. She endured long days and hours searching for tests to assure the entire school could sustain daily testing. Laura continues to assure the safety of our Campus by offering weekly testing, although we are no longer required to test, ensuring the safety of students, faculty, and staff.
Dr. Laura Nickerson possesses unlimited qualities in characteristic traits that include, but not limited to, honesty, confidence, compassion, and exceptional leadership. On a daily basis she engages her employees, students, faculty, and staff with knowledge that continues to allow the school and its activities to progress without skipping a beat.
There are not enough words to express how much of an impact that Dr. Laura Nickerson had, not only on the school, but the visitors from other schools and potential students. She consistently pushed for testing and additional safety measures to ensure in person learning could continue to happen on a daily basis.
Without Dr. Laura Nickerson and her leadership abilities, the school would have most likely stumbled at providing in person learning and preventing all its students, faculty, staff, and coaches from conducting PGA activities. She generated and implemented a successful testing strategy that ultimately identified and prevented further spread of Covid-19 at the school.
McDowell
Thanks so much for reaching out and I can't think of a better person for the Mercersburg News to feature. Dr. Nickerson has been a true hero for Mercersburg over the last couple of years. Here are my thoughts on your questions and please feel free to follow up if you need anything more/different:
1. What are some notable things she has done (pandemic and out of pandemic)?
Dr. Nickerson's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic has been nothing short of remarkable. It is hard to imagine how we would have navigated the last couple of years without her and her amazing staff. Despite the demands of COVID, however, she has also done some remarkable things to advance our school's approach to health and wellness, including forging a formidable partnership with Meritus Health, expanding our mental health counseling department, raising our operating standards to align with best practices, and much more.
2. What are some of her best character traits?
Not only is Dr. Nickerson incredibly smart and well researched, but she also has an incredible work ethic, is a galvanizing force for her staff, and partners well with others in the school.
3. How was she impactful during the pandemic?
Suffice it to say that our COVID-19 pandemic experience would have looked very different without Dr. Nickerson. Her insight, foresight, and fierce doggedness are the reasons we were able to maintain in-person learning and keep our community members safe throughout these incredibly difficult years.
4. What was the success of the school during the pandemic and after as a result of her leadership?
I would point back to the previous question. Dr. Nickerson's leadership during the pandemic (which is still alive and well, albeit shifting toward an endemic) is central to our success in co-existing with COVID-19.
I hope this is helpful. Let me know if you need anything else.
Mehret Kidane
2:07 PM (8 hours ago)
to me
-at the beginning of the pandemic i was unsure on what kind of issues I will be faced with, and was very concerned for my self and how the virus will affect what I do as a nurse on the daily bases,but because of Laura' leadership we are able to get through it and know how to handle the pandemic. Her clear guidance and excellent leadership skills are much appreciated.
- caring, understanding, intelligent, hard working
- her strong leadership skills and her knowledge and understanding of the extent of the pandemic.
- Laura worked tirelessly and long hours to make sure everyone was safe.and that students and family are comfortable with every decision she made.
She is AMAZING!!!!!!
Dr Maur
What are some notable things she has done (pandemic and out of pandemic)?
Dr. Nickerson has kept us up to date on the latest science regarding COVID, the positivity rates in our local area, and better ways to test our community. She is exhaustive and thorough in her research. She has organized vaccine clinics on campus and arranged for expedited processing of our weekly tests. She has gone above and beyond to provide expedient and reliable testing for our international students prior to travel and our students who were symptomatic.
What are some of her best character traits?
She is tireless in her devotion to her work. She is calm in a crisis. She is really smart and knows how to take the research, government recommendations, and experiences from our peer schools to craft a set of procedures for our school that are reasonable and protect our people. She also cares deeply for students. She is an incredible nurse and caregiver. And, she is funny... I love her sense of humor.
She is a ROCKSTAR and I love working with her.
How was she impactful during the pandemic?
All of her recommendations have been grounded in keeping our community safe. She takes the responsibility of keeping us healthy and safe very seriously. We have all benefited from her guidance and leadership.
What was the success of the school during the pandemic and after as a result of her leadership?
It is pretty incredible that we did not have a single on-campus transmission of COVID in the 2020-2021 school year. Vaccines were not widely available at that point and all of our energy was put into keeping our community healthy and keeping the virus from spreading on campus. Dr. Nickerson's leadership was critical to that success.