Name: Laura Horne
Affiliation/Title: School Nurse for Peoria Unified School District, servicing Coyote Hills Elementary, 21180 N. 87th Ave., Peoria, and Peoria Traditional School, 21180 N. 87th Ave., Peoria. I am a Registered Nurse.
Town/Neighborhood: Peoria
What I’m excited about & why: I am excited to see our students again. Much of my day is interacting with and advocating for students to help them manage their health and get the most out of their school day. I honestly have felt a little lost without that daily interaction. I miss that extra “paycheck” of smiling children.

What I like most about living here: Peoria is a family oriented community.
When & why I moved here: My family moved to the Phoenix area in 1972. My dad had been hired as a teacher for Peoria HS. I graduated from Cortez HS and Glendale Community College of Nursing. My husband and I raised our four daughters in the Peoria school district.
Where I lived before & why I left: Our family had been living in Indiana. We left to be in a drier climate for the health of a family member.
My family: Three brothers, husband (Kent), four daughters and eight grandchildren.
What I like most about what I do: I love being a School Nurse. This is my 21st year in this specialty. I love the sense of community and being able to work with families (for several years in some cases) to facilitate children with chronic medical conditions to attend school. I love doing health teaching with the kids at school. I take moments here and there to teach concepts like healthy eating, hygiene or avoiding risky behaviors like drugs, alcohol and tobacco . When I can I do mini lessons in the classroom on various topics like Heimlich maneuver.
If I had picked a different occupation, it might have been: Travel guide or Anthropologist

My interests and hobbies: I love traveling, sewing, doing family history, gardening, arts and crafts with the grandkids.
The best and/or worst time in my life: Best day ever- Aug. 26, 1983. That was the day I had my first child AND I got the letter informing me that I had passed my State Board of Nursing exams. Worst- watching my dad be taken by MSA - it is an awful disease.
My best/worst habits: Best habit is patience. Worst habit is probably procrastinating doing paperwork.
The trait(s) I admire in others: Kindness, forgiveness (because nobody is perfect) and positivity.
People who inspired me (and how): My students. Many have such a positive attitude when faced with adversity and challenges in their lives.
My guiding philosophy: Treat the students how I would like my own family members to be treated. I have the Starfish story in my office to remind me that I may not be able to fix every problem, but I can make a difference to the one I reach out to help.
My advice to today’s youth: Kindness is never wasted.

Previous Peoria education community Meet Your Neighbor profiles:

Deb Hofmeier

Jeff Berggren