Kate Sollmann is the 2023 recipient of Good Shepherd Montessori School’s Chiaravalle Award. This award honors a local community member whose work has improved the lives of children, spreading the light of learning and compassion. Kate has served as the school nurse at Good Shepherd for the last seven years, caring for our students’ physical needs but also their mental, emotional, and spiritual health as well. Kate embodies the school’s mission to nurture the character and uniqueness of each child, caring for students and their families in a holistic way.

Kate’s gifts and talents are numerous, but she has the distinct ability to make complex medical concepts accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds. She attests that her favorite aspect of nursing is educating patients and families, building their confidence, and providing encouragement. Kate has used this gift to initiate the addition of a holistic health curriculum for upper elementary students, teaching them how to care for their changing bodies and optimize their mental and emotional health. She has also helped the Good Shepherd community tackle difficult topics head-on—like grieving the death of a loved one and struggling with mental health challenges—from a perspective of evidence-based practice and self-compassion. 

Kate is a skillful and dedicated professional who has pursued advanced education, earning her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in 2022. She received the Madeleva Award for excellence in graduate studies, the highest honor conferred on a graduate student by Saint Mary’s College. Kate has led Good Shepherd by recommending research-based practices on everything from medication management to nutrition in order to manage the collective health of our community. Her clear-headed leadership was indispensable to helping Good Shepherd navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. Kate heroically took on the challenge of recommending procedures to mitigate the risks of viral transmission, addressing parent and student concerns about highly-politicized issues in a way that balanced science with compassion. Due in large part to Kate’s leadership and guidance, GSMS students completed a full year of in-person learning during 2020–2021, while many students throughout the country remained at home. A trusted resource for parents and a comforting presence to students of all ages, Kate continues to monitor health indicators across the student body, providing advice to families and staff and on-call support.