Work Hard. Be Ready. Keep Learning.
Ken and Norma were lifetime teachers in the Marshfield Public Schools, with careers spanning 29 years. Their passion for education led them to establish a first-of-its-kind fund within the Marshfield Area Community Foundation: a scholarship designed not for graduating seniors or college students, but for their teachers. This scholarship supports Marshfield Public School educators with bachelor’s degrees who wish to continue their education in the teaching profession. New skills and a deeper understanding ripple into hundreds of young people over the course of a career. Investing in a teacher is investing in students.
Great teachers carry a philosophy into the classroom — a set of beliefs about what students are capable of and what education is truly for. For Ken Zittleman, it was not simply content knowledge or test preparation. It was readiness — the deep conviction that preparation, diligence, and character are what allow a person to seize the moments that matter.
People say to set goals, but really, you don’t have that much control. Work hard. Be ready for what comes your way. Prepare yourself to be the best person you can be, so when the opportunities arise, you are ready.
— Ken Zittleman, Lifetime Educator
These words reflect someone who spent decades watching students face uncertainty — who knew that while goals may shift and plans may falter, those who cultivate discipline and readiness are never truly unprepared. That same belief guided both Ken and Norma in their own lifelong learning, shaping a shared commitment to growth that continues through the Ken and Norma Zittleman Scholarship. The scholarship exists to give working teachers in Marshfield the resources to keep learning, keep growing, and keep giving more to the students who need them.
Ken and Norma Zittleman Scholarship Eligibility:
- Currently employed by the Marshfield Public Schools System
- Hold a bachelor’s degree in education
- Pursuing continuing education in teaching (coursework, certification, graduate study)
- Able to demonstrate educational purpose