Spring Break
Student leaves hole in nursing classes
'Kind' junior dies from injuries sustained in snowboarding accident
Breann Schossow
Issue date: 3/30/09 Section: Campus News
Being considerate of others trademarked the life of former junior Caleb Szajner. His parents described him as the friend who would bring other students home when they could not go home and was universally kind, no matter who the person was.
"He was very self-focused on serving others," said Sue Szajner, Caleb's mother. "He had a really big heart that way."
Caleb Szajner died on March 10 after sustaining head injuries from a snowboarding accident.
Caleb's heart didn't discriminate based on age either, said Amos Szajner, Caleb's father.
"He had time for young kids, and a time for adults and a time for kids his age," Amos Szajner said. He added that his son's lifestyle and ambition came from being a Christian.
In addition to his personal conviction, Sue Szajner said that her son was very family oriented and enjoyed being with his family while riding horses, playing volleyball and playing broomball on the family's homemade rink.
"We have no regrets," she said. "Of the things that we have not done as a family … we wished we would've known that his time on Earth was over, but we're thankful that we got to have him for those 21 years."
A nursing major at the UW-Eau Claire Marshfield site, Caleb Szajner was described by nurse-practitioner Deborah Rozar as a goal-oriented student.
"I think that he was very purposeful in setting those goals beforehand and doing what he needed to achieve those goals," Rozar said.
Rozar met Caleb for the first time this semester after he transferred from Eau Claire to the Marshfield site and had been a member of her clinical group since January. She described Caleb's interactions with other students as kind and that he was a team player.
Caleb's ultimate goal, Rozar said, was to be a nurse anesthetist.
"Caleb was a very caring individual and he certainly wanted to make a difference in this world," Rozar said. "He wanted to do that through a number of ways."
While preparing for an upcoming clinical that Caleb would have been a part of, Rozar said it makes her sad to have to change the course materials for seven students instead of eight.
"Caleb will be missed," she said. "The students will always remember Caleb as a member of their graduating class. There'll be an empty spot in our Marshfield Site school of nursing in his absence."
"He was very self-focused on serving others," said Sue Szajner, Caleb's mother. "He had a really big heart that way."
Caleb Szajner died on March 10 after sustaining head injuries from a snowboarding accident.
Caleb's heart didn't discriminate based on age either, said Amos Szajner, Caleb's father.
"He had time for young kids, and a time for adults and a time for kids his age," Amos Szajner said. He added that his son's lifestyle and ambition came from being a Christian.
In addition to his personal conviction, Sue Szajner said that her son was very family oriented and enjoyed being with his family while riding horses, playing volleyball and playing broomball on the family's homemade rink.
"We have no regrets," she said. "Of the things that we have not done as a family … we wished we would've known that his time on Earth was over, but we're thankful that we got to have him for those 21 years."
A nursing major at the UW-Eau Claire Marshfield site, Caleb Szajner was described by nurse-practitioner Deborah Rozar as a goal-oriented student.
"I think that he was very purposeful in setting those goals beforehand and doing what he needed to achieve those goals," Rozar said.
Rozar met Caleb for the first time this semester after he transferred from Eau Claire to the Marshfield site and had been a member of her clinical group since January. She described Caleb's interactions with other students as kind and that he was a team player.
Caleb's ultimate goal, Rozar said, was to be a nurse anesthetist.
"Caleb was a very caring individual and he certainly wanted to make a difference in this world," Rozar said. "He wanted to do that through a number of ways."
While preparing for an upcoming clinical that Caleb would have been a part of, Rozar said it makes her sad to have to change the course materials for seven students instead of eight.
"Caleb will be missed," she said. "The students will always remember Caleb as a member of their graduating class. There'll be an empty spot in our Marshfield Site school of nursing in his absence."
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