Leigh Ann Nichols is applauded across the CCS campus for her compassionate heart and the excellent care that she provides to students. She not only prioritizes the bandages and medical needs but aims to support every person she encounters. Although many students have utilized her nursing skills, many do not know her journey while on the CCS campus.    

Nichols was born and raised in Rock Hill, South Carolina, alongside her younger brother and her parents. She first attended a local public school in her area but transitioned to Westminster Catawba Christian School later on due to her mother’s job working in the private school. Nichols had always known her calling was to do something in the nursing field. She never had a moment of realization, but she always had a passion for being a nurse for babies. She continued her education in Atrium Health’s nursing school, and Carolinas College of Health Science where she majored in nursing. 

Her career journey began after she graduated from the nursing program and achieved her degree. She began working in the neonatal intensive care unit in 2001 where she would work for four years! She was a bedside nurse, taking care of severely premature and or critically ill babies. Within that period, she had gotten married and needed to move to Charleston for her husband’s job. She then received the news that she was pregnant with their first child, but she continued to travel back and forth on weekends to work in the unit. After having their first child in 2004, Nichols decided to stay home for the next couple of years. While working as a stay-at-home mom, Nichols found out she was pregnant with baby number two! Another job opportunity for Mr. Nichols approached the family in September of 2007 and the family packed their belongings and headed to Nashville, Tenn.. After living in Tennessee for two years, the Nichols family decided to move back to Charlotte. Her daughter, Ann Elizabeth was in first grade and her son, Walter was in preschool. The job for the Wee School nurse had recently opened up, and she applied. She transitioned as the only school nurse on campus because the school was only Kindergarten through eighth grade at the time. 

Walter and Leigh Ann met through her part-time job waitressing at a local restaurant, where he happened to come in one evening. The two dated for two years and he proposed to her on July 4, 2000. Months later, they married on March 17, 2001. The Nichols have been happily married for almost twenty-three years. Ann Elizabeth is now a college student who graduated from CCS in 2022. Walter, seventeen years old, is dually enrolled at Central Piedmont Community College and plans to attend a university in the fall. Nichols also has two pets: a German shepherd, Beau, and a Maltipoo, Louie.

Nichols has been serving the CCS campus for 13 years. When asked about her highlights over the years, she shared that she enjoyed seeing her children every day, watching the school grow from 400 students to 1,100 students and building relationships with the middle and high school students. She also enjoyed the trips to Windy Gap each year where she would stay the entire week to provide care for the students. In 2022, Nichols took twelve students to the Dominican Republic for J-Term. Due to the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak, CCS was not providing international trips. Her daughter, who was a senior at the time, asked Nichols to take a few students to Freedom International Christian School. She also had the yearbook dedicated to her that same year highlighting all the dedication and hard work she put in during the pandemic. While on campus, Nichols also took on many roles to support the school. She served as assistant basketball coach for the women’s varsity team, kept the scorebook for both varsity basketball teams, served in the booster club, and is the sponsor for the Health Occupation Students of America club. 

When asked what she will miss most about CCS, she shares,“I’ll miss seeing the students every day and the relationships I form with them.” She also shared the impact of the relationships she’s formed with individuals on campus throughout the years. She has had the privilege of working alongside Officer Staats, providing safety and protection for students. Through her dedication to the athletic program, Nichols worked alongside Athletic Director, Grant Coffey, forming a close relationship with his family. Coffey shares, “I don’t think Carmel could have accomplished school like we did without the work and expertise of Nurse Nichols. Her office is at the heart of campus and that is a great metaphor for who she is, she had a huge heart for the people on campus.” Nichols has also formed a sweet friendship with Mrs. Sonja Nestor through event planning and the Windy Gap retreat. Nestor shares, “Leigh Ann and I became friends because I thought of her as my ‘personal’ nurse. She was my go-to person for diagnosing any symptom I had! Since then, she has become one of my dearest friends. Seeing her every day will be missed, but our friendship will never change. Love you, Leigh Ann!”

Students across the campus love and appreciate Nichols whether it’s for health needs, her comforting words or the safe space of her office. Senior Henry Blong speaks for the student body by stating, “Mrs. Nichols is like a mom to me. I feel like I could come to her with any of my problems. Whether it’s medical related or something going on in my life, she’s always there for me.” Although the CCS campus is saddened to see her part ways, they are excited for the new journey that is revealed before her. Nichols plans to work for Health Exchange Concierge to support the three providers in the practice. She will be seeing patients of all ages daily. She shares that it is very different from a school nurse job, but she looks forward to trying new things in her nursing career, such as the one-on-one patient interaction (especially the IV hydration) and the new challenges ahead!

Leigh Ann Nichols is one of those beloved individuals who will be remembered by students and faculty for years to come, not only for her bandages and temperature checks but also for the way she truly cares for each person who has stepped into her nurse’s station.