A current CHS student has volunteered to interview a 2024 CHS Hall of Honor inductee about his/her thoughts coming back to CHS on April 26.
If you would like to attend the community luncheon, you can either contact Deb Deters at debra.deters@csdkq.org, call Deb at 563-243-7540, ext 7022, or order electronically at https://clintonia.infinitecampus.org/campus/store/clinton
Diane Andrews
2024 CHS Hall of Honor Inductee
Professional Career Accomplishments
By Julia Suessmith
Diane Andrews was a 1972 graduate of Clinton High School. After graduation, she went on to receive a BSN from the University of Iowa, a MS from the University of Illinois, and a PhD from the University of Central Florida.
Diane started her professional career at Rush Presbyterian St. Luke’s Medical Center in Chicago, where she was a leader in both the anesthesia and cardiovascular units. Diane then went on to found a DNP Program (Doctor of Nursing Practice) at the University of Central Florida along with a MSN (Master of Science in Nursing Program) Leadership and Management program, in which she was the director for fourteen years. After serving as director, she had two national appointments where she served as Secretary of the Association of Leadership Science in Nursing and an onsite reviewer for the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. She retired as an Associate Professor Emerita from the University of Central Florida.
Throughout Diane’s experience at Clinton High she was very involved in what was offered to the student body. One of her favorite recollections of CHS was the acapella choir. Being involved in acapella gave Diane access to a gratifying collection of music albums, which she enjoyed. She was also a participant in All-State Choir her senior year. Another activity that she took part in was the debate team. Their group would travel around the area almost weekly, or it seemed that way for Mrs. Andrews. A lasting memory for Diane was the construction that resulted from the fire of 1968, because of this she experienced half days the fall semester of her Sophomore year. This opened her after school schedule and gave her more time to complete school work, and most importantly, she could choose which TV station she wanted to watch with no interruptions.
Diane has several teachers in the school district that left a special impact on Diane. Her fourth grade teacher Mrs. Leopard made her classroom a very creative work environment. There was always a wide variety of books to read. Another memorable experience from fourth grade was the whole class quilt making project. This added to the innovative aspects of the classroom. From seventh to ninth grade the history classes she took gave her a different look into history. Instead of focusing on the basic history criteria, she was shown the sequences of history. Diane’s acapella teacher Mr. Dehaan was very inspiring to her. Leaving Clinton High School she felt prepared for her next chapter of education.
Mrs. Andrews’ advice for graduating seniors at CHS was to be open to opportunities that come your way as her career pathed many paths for her. If one door closes another one will open, so try not to set yourself in a straight line. There is a big chance your plan will not workout exactly how you anticipated. Lastly, once you settle yourself into a new location try your best to branch out into something new that interests you, and do volunteer work within your community.