Moorhead Area Public Schools superintendent Dr. Brandon Lunak paid a visit to the Moorhead High School Career Academy’s Health Office to present the June 2025 Spud Spirit Award to MHS and Career Academy School Nurse Jill Roaldson. Jill is in her 10th year of service with the district.
Joined by staff from Moorhead High School, the Career Academy and the district Health Office, Dr. Lunak surprised Jill just after the start of block four. He told her that her nominator, a colleague, described her as a joyful, compassionate and knowledgeable leader.
“Jill goes above and beyond to ensure health services are available to ALL students,” said Dr. Lunak, relaying her nominator’s praise. “She thinks outside the box to innovate new solutions and collaborates with multi-disciplinary teams to provide the best possible care for students. Jill has created a welcoming and safe space in our Health Office, kids seek her care for a wide range of sensitive issues.”
He went on to hail the work Roaldson did as part of the team to help create a partnership between MAPS and Family Health Care. He said this work was why her nominator called her “the ignition for the new Spud Care Clinic here at the Career Academy. Jill knew kids would have improved health if providers are where the kids are: at school. We have students who have never had an established health care provider who are now proud to share they saw ‘their’ doctor.”
The praise for her part in the work on the Spud Care Clinic, which opened earlier this school year at the Career Academy, moved Roaldson to tears during the presentation.
Jill’s commitment to all students receiving health care without barriers is a terrific example of the many different ways MAPS staff strive to fulfill the district’s mission to develop the maximum potential of every student to thrive in a changing world.
To learn more about the Spud Care Clinic, visit the district Health Office website.
The Spud Spirit Award is a recognition program that honors MAPS staff who live by the district mission to develop the maximum potential of every learner to thrive in a changing world and showcase our Spud Spirit statements:
Students, staff, parents, families, and the Moorhead community
Passionate, engaged, innovative, and growing in safe environments
Unique, worthy, respectful, and relationship-based
Diversity enriches our school and community
Stewards of the public’s trust in effective and efficient operations
Spud Spirit Award nominations are made by staff, student families and community members. Nominations are open at the beginning of each semester during the school year.