woman cares for 1,000 sons
To any teen who feels alone, confused and cut off from the world, a sympathetic hug and an understanding voice can make all the difference. For the past two decades, students at Florida Air Academy have received this touch of understanding from Mrs. Katherine "Dutch" Ruocco of Melbourne Beach. Mrs. Ruocco has been the school's nurse for more than 20 years, and to many former students, she has also been a surrogate mother. "Mrs. Ruocco is more than just a nurse at a school in Brevard County," said Sean McNamara, who graduated from the academy in 1988. "She is a mother to a child who is away from home." Until recent years, Florida Air Academy operated as an all-boys boarding school. Boys from around the globe attend the college prep school for many different reasons, but one thing they have in common is the shared feeling of being far from home. Mrs. Ruocco still refers to these thousands of boarders as "her boys," and she remembers most by name. "We thought we were Mrs. Ruocco's favorites," said Mr. McNamara and his lifelong friend and fellow graduate Ed Paulus. In her capacity as the school's nurse, she is responsible for the health and well-being of each of the students in her charge, and she has always taken that responsibility to heart. "The kids sometimes need somebody to listen," Mrs. Ruocco said. "They need somebody who knows what they are going through." "Kids go to the infirmary for everything," said Academy president James Dwight. "Most especially, they go for a little extra TLC." Since her arrival at the school, Mrs. Ruocco has cared for more than 1500 students. "Every time I visit the school when I am in town, I make sure to see Mrs. Ruocco first," said Mr. McNamara, who now lives in South Florida. "It's something I have to do." For Mr. Paulus and Mr. McNamara, one of Mrs. Ruocco's most endearing qualities was her unconditional understanding. "She looked past the ostensible behavior of teenage boys, and she tried to sympathize with every boy's unique situation," Mr. McNamara said. I first remember meeting her when I started coming down while in graduate school in Columbia," Mr. Dwight said. "Of course, I started really appreciating her in the 1986-87 school year when I became involved in the operation of the academy." In 1991, the academy added day students to its cadre, and local families had the chance to experience Mrs. Ruocco's constant compassion. Although these students have the advantage of living at home with their parents, Mrs. Ruocco has helped many adjust to the daily challenges of attending the prep school. In 2005, Mrs. Ruocco was charged with caring for some new "daughters" after the academy opened its doors to female students. At this point, Mrs. Ruocco's infirmary got a facelift. With the facility now divided into gender-specific areas, the veteran nurse balances the needs of a more diverse student body and has gotten to know her new patients and their personalities with as much digilence as ever. "It was a little different at first," said Mrs. Ruocco. "But you learn quickly the girls are only a little different than the boys." The challenge is not entirely new to Mrs. Ruocco, though. Her success as a school nurse is only surpassed by her successes at home. The veteran caregiver has raised two children of her own. Her son Albert Ruocco lives in nearby Melbourne, and daughter Faith Glionna resides in Melbourne Beach with Mrs. Ruocco's granddaughters Ciara and Biata. After more than 22 years as FAA's chief nurse, raising her own family, and the numerous changes to the school's dynamic, Mrs. Ruocco has become a staple of life on Florida Air's campus. "Dutch is an exceptionally talented and gifted person," said Mr. Dwight. "She epitomizes what we all look for in a care giver - consummate professionalism mixed with warmth, compassion and a great sense of humor." |