After three decades in healthcare, Amy Smulski Druml said she most enjoys watching people she’s mentored go on to do great things. Now the 1994 McHenry Community High School graduate can watch lots of students she’s helped go on to careers helping others.
As vice president and chief nursing executive for Northwestern Medicine’s McHenry and Woodstock hospitals, Druml has used her years of experience in nursing to help expand the McHenry High School biomedical science program, including the start of an in-house Certified Nursing Assistant program.
Druml’s years of experience working to make the McHenry area healthy, along with her help with the high school’s program led to her being named the 2026 Distinguished Graduate for McHenry Community High School.
For Druml, watching the high school’s program grow and evolve is a lot like working in healthcare. She said she appreciates the willingness of educators to keep moving forward.
“I’m in an environment where things are always changing,” Druml said. “You can’t be stagnant. You have to be willing to adjust.”
The McHenry biomedical science program has grown and changed to now include four Project Lead the Way biomedical science courses plus a capstone semester-long Innovations and Experiences class that allows students to job shadow many different types of healthcare-related career professionals. The certified nursing assistant (CNA) program is now dual credit, meaning students earn high school and college credits.
Amy (Smulski) Druml made plenty of adjustments to her own career along the way. After graduating in 1994, Druml went on to get an associate’s degree from McHenry County College then nursing school at Elgin Community Collge while working as a CNA. She earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Northern Illinois University and a master’s degree from University of Phoenix.
She was able to stay connected with nursing and healthcare while raising her two adult children, also McHenry Community High School graduates.
In addition to working with area high school programs, she serves on the nursing advisory boards for McHenry County College and the College of Lake County. Druml has also worked as a clinical instructor at McHenry County College and Northern Illinois University.
She’s also credited with contributing to many important projects, including the opening of Northwestern Medicine’s Huntley Hospital, the COVID-19 response, and helping the system earn a Magnet recognition from the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
In addition to having a plaque about her in the buildings, Druml will be honored at the Oct. 4 homecoming parade and Oct. 9 homecoming football game.
For more information about the Distinguished Graduate program, visit the district’s website.
