Ben Smidt

There are some professors who will be remembered long after graduation, who have inspired you in some way or another. To many students in the nursing department, that professor is CeCelia Zorn.

Even outside of the classroom, students have found Zorn to be nothing but pleasant.

“Since I did an independent study with her, I’ve seen her in a little different atmosphere,” junior Katie Eckdahl said. “She is most wonderful to work with; she’s willing to teach in new ways, and she’s always smiling.”

Zorn has not only been acknowledged by her students as a great teacher but also by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, which has named her Wisconsin’s Teacher of the Year.

“I didn’t expect the award,” Zorn said. “I did know I was nominated by the university but didn’t expect to be honored in this way.”

She has been teaching for 23 years and has enjoyed all the rewards of being a professor. She has a strong belief in building relationships with students and making sure they have all the help they need.

“I think teaching is about relationships with students, in and outside of the classroom,” Zorn said. “In my teaching and learning with students, I am always reminded that good teachers make good students and good students make the most elegant of teachers.”

Zorn’s care and eagerness to teach is apparent to her students as well as her colleagues.

Senior Eric Hartung believes that Zorn’s teaching is extraordinary, because she is so excited and passionate about what she does.

“She knows how to communicate her knowledge about nursing in an interesting, exciting and captivating manner,” he said.

The thing that has always impressed me most about Zorn, Hartung said, is her willingness to spend lots of individual time with students despite her busy schedule.

Speaking of her busy schedule, besides teaching nursing courses, Zorn finds time to participate in other activities.

“My life is a blend of teaching and nursing and my other personal and professional roles,” Zorn said.

She also enjoys rollerblading, biking, skiing, traveling, flute playing, Tai chi, flower gardening, reading and writing.

Zorn said she decided to become a professor because the idea of working in education interested her.

“Something about working in an educational setting appealed to me,” she said. “Perhaps it was the idea of opportunity, an opportunity to be part of growth in many different ways, my own and others as well.”

Junior Alison Knudsvig said she is definitely glad that Zorn grabbed that opportunity.

“Dr. Zorn is an exceptional teacher. She ranks on my list of best teachers in my education,” Knudsvig said. “She takes class time to make sure the entire class fully understands, where other professors are more concerned about covering their needed material.”

Zorn has inspired and influenced students’ paths toward a career or a field of study. Eckdahl said Zorn helped and encouraged her when she was struggling with decisions about her future.

“There was a point where I was unsure about whether I wanted to be nurse,” she said. “She was very encouraging of my decision to stick with it. She gives sound advice without being biased. She’s been very supportive of the struggles that nursing students are sometimes faced with.

“She’s shared personal stories with me and taken time out of her busy day to listen and help guide me,” Eckdahl said. “I know she honestly wants what’s best for me.”