Prior to reopening St. George’s for the 2020-2021 school year, we sought to ensure the safest reopening possible. We also wanted to support our health goals for each campus, and so we set out to hire three exceptionally talented nursing professionals this summer.
After a thorough search and interview process, we were thrilled to add Desiree Morgan, Dena Eskridge and Celeste Waldrup to our team in August. Each of these professionals bring years of nursing experience and knowledge to our community, providing our students with the best possible care – whether they’re on campus now or plan to return in the future.
Desiree Morgan is the school nurse at our Memphis Campus. Desiree has served as a registered nurse for 11 years in a variety of health care settings including emergency, ICU and cardiology hospital departments, in addition to working as a travel nurse and a collegiate instructor.
“In my practice as a nurse, I’ve always prioritized integrity and inspiring others to lead a healthier lifestyle,” Desiree said. “I hope to stay true to those principles serving as a role model to these students.”
She feels a connection to the culture at St. George’s and is delighted to bring her nursing expertise to the school.
Dena Eskridge brings more than 28 years of nursing experience and 22 years as a nurse practitioner to her new role as school nurse at the Germantown Campus. During her impressive career, she served in the U.S. Army, worked as a hospital nurse, and practiced in family medicine, internal medicine and her personal area of passion – pediatrics.
“One of the reasons I’m most excited about being a Gryphon is because of my love for pediatric nursing,” said Eskridge.
Dena believes in collaboration and commitment to the overall goal – in her role, community well-being – which will serve her well as she supports our Germantown students and parents.
Celeste Waldrup, school nurse of six years, is meeting the needs of our middle and high school students as the campus nurse in Collierville. Waldrup has a passion for supporting the varied and unique health care needs of teens and young adults and wants to promote healthy lifestyle choices on the Collierville campus.
"My own personal beliefs are perfectly in alignment with the mission of St. George’s,” Waldrup explained. “The school culture fosters a creative, nurturing environment in which I feel like I can really forge relationships with students and staff.
St. George’s top priority is moving our school community forward safely. We hope to give families comfort in knowing their children are under the supervision of esteemed leaders in the health care industry.