By VIANEY CASTRO 
The Tower 

Sanela Pepic is the school nurse at Manteca High School. She is a proud Slovenian native who brought her passion for healthcare to the United States.  

After completing her medical degree, Pepic made the decision to move to the United States to pursue a career that would allow her to directly impact the lives of many. To be clear: Being a healthcare provider has always been Pepic’s dream job.  

“Since I was a little girl, I’ve always had that passion about helping and caring about people, especially kids,” said Pepic, whose Slovenian/German accent attaches itself to every word.  

There’s a sparkle in her eyes when Pepic speaks about her job. Pepic takes great joy in seeing her students overcome and move on into life with their medical problems, especially as she dislikes seeing children who are suffering with an illness or in pain.  

“I think it is being a mother,” she said, “it always affects me emotionally.” 

“You know, I don’t like seeing kids sick or students living in pain, especially if they are suffering. I think it is being a mother; it always affects me emotionally.  ”

— Sanela Pepic

As a school nurse for the Manteca Unified School District, Pepic says she could see up to five students a day, all for different reasons. She enjoys working with children, preferring to work with teenagers. She feels like teenagers are easier to connect with. 

Manteca High health clerk Martha Turner loves working with Pepic, noting that she is a thorough and skilled nurse. Turner said Pepic has a natural rapport with students and asks all the appropriate questions. 

“As a person, Mrs. Pepic is a very sweet and caring person,” Turner said. “She always has a smile on her face, even though her workload is heavy. She never complains about it.”  

The Tower was able to interview Sanela Pepic on what it’s like being a school nurse. 

THE TOWER: What was the reason you chose to become a school nurse?  

SANELA PEPIC: Since I was a little girl, I’ve always had that passion about helping and caring about people, especially kids. I do have three young adults (her children), and I used to volunteer at school when I was younger, and it's just like I fell in love when I was helping kids and making sure that they were safe and OK. 

TT: Was being a school nurse your first choice for a job?  

SP: I used to work at Doctor’s Hospital in medical surgery, but after a few years, I felt like I wanted to have more experiences working with kids in a school setting.  

TT: What is the part of the job you enjoy the most?  

SP: Just talking to students, like right now how you are interviewing me. It just makes me so happy seeing students outgrowing their medical problems. 

TT: You’ve mentioned you enjoy your job a lot, but what is the part you find the most difficult with your job?  

SP: You know, I don’t like seeing kids sick or students living in pain, especially if they are suffering. I think it is being a mother; it always affects me emotionally.  

TT: Do you like working with teenagers or younger kids?  

SP: I prefer to work with teenagers. I was able to pick where I wanted to work, so I chose to work at a high school. I feel like it’s easier to work with teenagers because they are more understanding than younger kids. 

TT: Are you able to visit Slovenia often?  

SP: Yes, I was able to visit last year for my niece’s wedding. The wedding was very beautiful, and it was nice to be home for a while. 

TT: If you could, would you move back?  

SP: My life is here. My kids grew up here. This is my life. Maybe one day when I am older, but for now I am OK where I am. I’ve lived here for about 10 years. I’ve loved it here.