Jacquie Disque announces her candidacy for a position on the Great Bend USD 428 Board of Education.
She is a native of Great Bend who attended grade school at Riley Elementary, junior high at Roosevelt Junior High and was a 1984 graduate of GBHS. She graduated from Fort Hays State University in 1988 with a degree in Elementary Education. She returned to college in 1999 and received an Associate Degree in Nursing. Currently, she works as a nurse at Great Bend Regional Hospital in the role of Clinical Resource Nurse/Clinical Analyst.
Disque has two daughters and a son-in-law who are also graduates of GBHS. Her husband of 31 years works as a zoo maintenance technician at Brit Spaugh Zoo.
“As a nurse, I am a patient advocate and work to do what’s best for my patients. As a member of the USD 428 Board of Education, I look forward to being an advocate for the students, staff and patrons of USD 428. I value listening to many sides of an issue and forming a decision based on what is best for our students. I look forward to serving the district and the patrons who support it,” Disque said.
“I was inspired and motivated to be a teacher from the time I was in kindergarten and first grade. I never wavered from that aspiration and attended and graduated from college with my degree in Elementary Education. After I taught a few years, I decided that while I loved teaching, I also was interested in nursing. I attended Barton Community College and received my nursing degree in 2001. I have been a nurse ever since and love every aspect of it. Nursing requires teaching as well and I enjoy the education I provide to patients and their families. Initially, I worked on a medical floor where I cared for pediatric patients. When I moved to the OB unit, the teaching and caring for both patients and families increased significantly. Again, I had the best of both worlds. I began my nursing career at CKMC, later moving to Great Bend Regional Hospital just before it opened as a full service hospital. I continued to care for both OB and pediatric patients.
“I completed the Leadership Golden Belt program through the Golden Belt Community Foundation. Through this program, I learned of serving my community and thought I may do that ‘someday.’ In the meantime, I have been a part of several organizations in the community. I serve as a CASA volunteer. I also serve as a member of the Central Kansas Breastfeeding Coalition. I have been on the Advisory Board for the Child Advocacy Center. I chair the Staff Pastor Parish Relations Committee at my church, Trinity United Methodist Church. Within the hours of my work, I perform various duties related to the community including scheduling job shadowing experiences for area high school students as well serving on various committees throughout the hospital.
“I still get to work with patients on occasion and it is truly still my favorite thing to do.
“People often ask me why I want to run for school board, especially since I do not have any children in the district now. My youngest graduated this past May. My answer is simple: I want to do what’s best for our students every chance I can. I want the chance to serve the students, staff, and patrons of USD 428. I want to hear their concerns, celebrate their victories and help fix what I can when it comes to adversity. It’s much like being a nurse, a patient advocate. I will listen to all sides of an issue, find answers when I don’t have them, track down whomever may have the answers then make a decision that is best for our students, staff and district. I may not agree with what the majority decides, but once that decision is made, I will do my best to support it and make it a success for our students, every chance I get.
“As a school board member, it will be very important to be responsible to the patrons in determining policies, setting budgets, recruiting and retaining excellent educators and assisting the staff and administration in making the students of USD 428 successful, lifelong learners.”