After working at Creek for 11 years, Nurse Darcy Miccio Pace has seen her fair share of Educator of the Year winners, all of them being teachers of some sort. But in addition to two teachers, this year Miccio Pace was given the EOY award. 

The EOY award is a district wide recognition, it is not limited to any specific job in the CCSD. Miccio Pace was awarded the award for her service in taking care of students’ health at school, which directly affects their ability to learn. 

Miccio Pace was sitting in her office ready to eat her lunch when a large group of people walked into the West clinic with a bouquet of flowers. The group consisted of people not only from the Health Services Department at CCSD, and the administration here at Creek.

“Everyone came together to present it to me, which is honestly really special,” Miccio Pace said.

For Miccio Pace, the journey to finding her path at Creek has taken multiple steps. While she might’ve started off as an exercise physiologist, Miccio Pace found her true calling in nursing. “I think it was always natural for me to want to take care of people,” Miccio Pace said.

Miccio Pace was shocked to hear that she, a nurse, had won the award. She appreciates how the district is looking at this award creatively, especially given her belief that nurse and health liaisons make a lot of impactful input into the lives of students.

“The amount of work that everyone does that’s behind the scenes is really incredible,” Miccio Pace said.

Miccio Pace works closely with just about everyone in the school, including the counseling and mental health departments. Psychologist Lisa Geissler has known Miccio Pace for her entire time as a nurse at Creek.

“She’s passionate about kids and doing things ethically,” Geissler said.

After getting to know Nurse Darcy in her junior year, senior Ana Loveland has built up a strong relationship with Miccio Pace. She feels that Miccio Pace deserves this award and much more.

“She’s always looking to make kids feel safe and supported,” Loveland said.

Miccio Pace was extremely grateful to be given this honor, and felt that she represented all nurses in schools.

“I think it’s really an honor to be recognized in this role as a nurse for an award as an educator of the year, because it’s really thinking outside the box,” she said. “But it’s showing what all the people in the background do to support the kids.”