‘Empathic, conscientious’: Women of Distinction honoree Carol Waggoner makes a difference by taking initiative

This is the latest profile in the Northwest Herald’s Women of Distinction series, which honors prominent women in our community.

It’s safe to say that those who live and work in McHenry County are healthier because of Carol Waggoner and her dedication to the community.

Waggoner is a public health nurse at the McHenry County Department of Health and a certified diabetes care and education specialist, but her lessons go beyond lectures. She helped establish a garden to grow healthy foods to support food pantries and even helped make dual-language signs so those who read Spanish could easily identify vegetables in the garden.

“Carol is a person who takes initiative. She sees what needs to be done and tries to find the best way to accomplish the task,” said Clara Brown, a longtime friend.

Not long after Waggoner moved to the McHenry area, she met Brown. Waggoner moved to McHenry County with her husband after he joined a law practice with his brother. Waggoner grew up in Iowa and attended the University of Iowa, where she received a degree in recreational therapy and loved her role as a swim instructor for people with special needs. She remembers advocating for a therapy pool in Iowa to enable individuals, including those in wheelchairs, to experience the benefits of floating in water.

“I saw the value of being in the water for those who were deaf, blind, those with cerebral palsy. It was an equalizer,” she said.

Waggoner is among 10 women from McHenry County who are the latest recipients of the Northwest Herald’s Women of Distinction Awards, honoring those who provide leadership in their fields of expertise; serve as role models or mentors; advocate positive social change; or give back to their community through time, talent and resources.

It’s not too far from an exaggeration to say that Waggoner’s second home is in the pool. She’s been a swim instructor for 50 years, teaching individuals and classes and leading lifeguard training. She was teaching her first water-safety classes while still in college and, not long after relocating to the area, she found a position teaching swimming lessons and training instructors.

In the early 1990s, she took a position as a wellness specialist for Centegra Health, where she visited companies to assist with health screenings. It was through this role that she saw there was more to be done to help educate others about their health, to help them make more informed choices about their nutrition and to work to prevent health issues down the road.

She was in her 50s when she made the decision to return to school for a nursing degree, first taking classes at McHenry County College before transferring to Northern Illinois University. She remembers a few times having lunch with her son, who also was a student at NIU at the same time.

Waggoner became a registered nurse at 58.

“I saw such value in preventative care, and it was so rewarding to be a part of that, but I wanted to know more,” Waggoner said. “I love science and people, so nursing was perfect.”

After earning her nursing degree, she joined the McHenry County Department of Health. During her time there, she has implemented diabetes education programs and the bilingual education and outreach programs. Waggoner said the evidence-based programs are excellent resources for those with diabetes, caregivers and those who have prediabetes. The classes go beyond providing information, Waggoner said, helping participants transform with confidence on their ability to navigate their diabetes diagnosis.

“There’s not one right way to do things – it’s what you want to do and what you can do,” Waggoner said. “Many are unaware of all the resources and benefits. It’s amazing what people know and can then share. Everybody should take the class. Everybody should be here.”

For Waggoner, all of the classes and outreach represent opportunities to meet and work with others, to share her knowledge and help others improve their lives.

“That’s the best part of my job: meeting and being able to know and work and collaborate with so many wonderful people in the county,” Waggoner said.

It’s hard to know the influence, but it’s one that ripples through McHenry County.

“We’ll never know how many people Carol saved by educating them about diabetes, changing their diets or informing them about planting a garden, doing wellness checks or teaching lifeguards,” Brown said. “We do know that we are very lucky to have this empathic, conscientious, vivacious woman in our county.”