Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Editor’s Note: This feature originally ran in the annual 20 Under 40 magazine which was a part of the LaGrange Daily News July 31 edition. If you would like to pick up a copy of the 20 Under 40 magazine, please visit our office at 115 Broad Suite 101.

Getting sick at school is never fun. but, it helps when there is a smiling face whose job is to make you feel better. Dee Franklin is quite good at this job; she was named TCSS Nurse of the Year for 2023-2024, by a group of her peers. 

Dee Franklin is the school nurse for Hollis Hand Elementary School. The position is much more than bandaging scraps, it is educating kids and parents on health. 

“It’s my goal to influence and empower our younger generation on how to better care for themselves in life: mentally and physically,” Franklin stated. “Together, we can help eliminate and aid conditions that cause poor health habits or conditions in the first place!”

While her job title is school nurse her impact goes beyond the walls of the school’s clinic. For the past three years, Franklin has served as the assistant Basketball coach at Hollis Hand. 

“I have been able to chair a fundraiser for Childhood Cancer Awareness for the last 2 years… I know several families in our community who have been strongly impacted by cancer and their stories are powerful,” Franklin said. 

Franklin has a lot of favorite things about her job, variety being the key one. 

“Working with children in the school setting is different from most nursing jobs and I love being able to not only care for the children with healthcare needs and illnesses, but I also love being an encourager and a smiling face they see each day,” Franklin said. ‘“My kids always keep me guessing and never let my job get boring.”

The 35-year-old has been in Troup County since she was two. While she was born in Conyers, Troup is Franklin’s home. She began working at Corley Drugs during high school.

“It was that job, and those co-workers and clients, that ignited my passion for working in healthcare and encouraged me to pursue nursing. It means a lot to me that I can give back to the community I’ve grown up in.”

She then went on to get an associate degree from West Georgia Technical College and a bachelor’s from Columbus State University in 2022, both in nursing. 

Franklin is going into her 5th year with TCSS but has been a nurse for 12 years. 

“When I previously worked with the Department of Public Health, I was able to become certified as a Child Passenger Safety Technician and teach parents about proper car seat use and safety as well as check seats in cars to ensure they were properly installed,” Franklin said. “At the beginning of COVID, I was also part of a specialized testing team with DPH in Newnan.”

Despite all of the responsibilities, Franklin finds other ways to stay active in the community.

“I have been helping pack food bags for Good Sam Ministry for the past year; this ministry aims to reduce food insecurity in our school children [and] is very close to my heart, and my 8-year-old son also helps out,” Franklin said. She added that having her son at Hollis Hand with her is invaluable.  

She highlights family in her answers, saying, “My husband, Kevin, is my biggest supporter and I love having him by my side to share in our life experiences.”