Once a Chieftain, forever a Chieftain
Zabrocki prepares to leave Yutan at end of semester
Usually goodbyes happen at the end of the year, but one is coming early as math teacher, coach and friend Natalie Zabrocki will be leaving Yutan in December.
Zabrocki’s husband, Adam, a member of the Air Force, is being relocated to Macdill Air Force Base. Because of this, their family will be moving to Florida, and Zabrocki will be leaving Yutan, a place that she considers home, at the end of the first semester.
“Yutan has become a second home for me, and I can honestly say that I enjoy coming to work every day,” Zabrocki said.
Yutan has not only made it so she enjoys coming to work, but it has also helped her grow in many ways.
“Yutan has definitely helped me grow as an educator,” Zabrocki said. “I was a first year teacher, and I was just kind of learning how I wanted to teach. I was a young woman when I started, and it has helped me grow to where I am now.”
Zabrocki has also helped Yutan grow, dedicating her time and energy to better the students and teachers here.
“Mrs. Z is one of my favorite teachers here at Yutan. She has helped me over the years whenever I need extra help with my math,” junior Grace Jones said. “Whenever I have a question, I know she can always have the answer.”
In addition to helping the students, Zabrocki has made a impact on many teachers in the school, including her math department colleague Kassie Trevarrow.
“She has played a huge role in the teacher I am today,” Trevarrow said. “She’s been a shoulder to cry on when needed, a friend to help celebrate the good, an experienced teacher to bounce ideas off of and get advice from and most importantly she’s been a teacher with a huge heart that has shown me what it means to love your students and Yutan.”
Trevarrow is sad to think about what school will be like next semester without Zabrocki.
“I won’t have that friend next door that has gone through the thick and thin with me these last years. Not only do I rely on her a lot professionally, but also personally,” Trevarrow said. “She’s a great friend who always listens, helps out and is the first to give you a big hug. I think the math department will definitely feel the loss since she has been such a huge part of our success.”
Science teacher Leslie Heise also recognizes all of Zabrocki’s hard work and dedication.
“I definitely want to thank her for all the great memories and dedication that she has shown our students. Yutan is a place that grew and became better because we were lucky to have her as a teacher for the time that we did,” Heise said. The students of Florida don’t know how lucky they are to get a Nebraska teacher like her to shed some of her talents down there in the Sunshine State. I will miss her.”
The thankfulness goes both ways, with Zabrocki being impacted just as much as she has impacted others at Yutan.
“I am so thankful for this wonderful chapter in my life,” Zabrocki said. “Every day, I will think about my time at Yutan and the lessons that I have learned along the way. From the bottom of my heart…thank you for all of the memories.”
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