After two decades of shaping the minds of young students at State High, English teacher Dana Zuhlke will retire this November. Known for her kindness, patience and deep care for her students, she leaves behind a lasting mark on the school and anyone who had the chance to learn from her.

How it all began

For Zuhlke, teaching runs deep in her roots. Her father was a professor of English and linguistics at Penn State, and her mom worked as a lecturer and later as an editor of Penn State Agriculture Magazine. Originally wanting to teach French, Zuhlke studied the language in graduate school, but after taking time off to raise her four daughters, she went back to school to earn her teaching certification in English, and she decided to head in a different direction to become an English teacher instead. 

“When I went back to school, my French was rusty, but my English was not,” she said with a laugh. “English has always been part of who I am.”

She said she wanted to be the kind of teacher who made students actually want to come to class. 

“I hoped I could perhaps be a little part of that solution, that maybe if I was the right kind of teacher, that students wouldn’t, you know, dread coming to my class, and I could make it reasonable and interesting enough and all that.”

Coming back to State High 

Mrs. Zuhlke didn’t have to look too far to find where she belonged. As a State High graduate herself, she said it was very easy to come back and stay. There‘s something really special about teaching in the same halls where you were once a student.

“Education is so valued in this town,” she said. 

After finishing her student teaching here at State High, she got hired the next year and never left. 

“I couldn’t imagine teaching anywhere else,” she said. “This school feels like home.”

Teaching with her heart

Over the years, Zuhlke’s approach to teaching has changed a lot. Early on, she focused heavily on lessons and homework, but over time, she realized what mattered most were the people in her classroom. 

“I tell my students, you’re a human being first and an English student second,” she said. It’s not all about the curriculum, it’s about communicating and understanding others.”

Her favorite memories, she said, come from unexpected encounters with former students, seeing their faces light up when they recognize her in the hallway or years later in town. 

“Those moments remind me that I made an impact,” Zuhlke said.

Lessons and challenges

“Patience. That’s the biggest thing,” Mrs. Zuhlke said when asked what teaching has taught her. “There was a study that said teachers make more decisions in a day than brain surgeons do.”

Her career was also largely shaped by personal challenges. After being treated for colorectal cancer three years ago, Zuhlke emerged with a renewed perspective on life. 

“If someone offered to erase that experience, I’d say no,” Zuhlke said. “It changed me for the better. I like who I am on the other side of it.”

From student teacher to mentor

Fellow English teacher Allison Becker, who first met Mrs. Zuhlke over 20 years ago as her student teaching supervisor, said she knew right away that Zuhlke would be an amazing teacher. 

“She was brilliant, and detail-oriented, but also incredibly warm. She had this perfect balance of high expectations and kindness,” Becker said.

Becker said that one of her favorite memories happened during the COVID-19 pandemic, when everyone had to suddenly learn online teaching tools. 

“Then they switched to Google later on, but it was a lot, and they gave us two weeks to learn all these things. And I just remember Dana putting together videos about Macbeth while she’s wearing one crown, and then she’s reading another, and she would make these videos.” 

Even when battling cancer, Zuhlke still helped her coworkers. 

“She was on medical leave…and she would still, unpaid, Zoom in to our tenth-grade meetings every other day and help with the curriculum review,” Becker recalled. “She did a lot of just, like, the manual labor, and that was really, really appreciated.”

Becker believes Zuhlke’s legacy will last for years after she leaves the program. 

“We’re gonna be using activities that she created and rubrics that she made…for the next three years as we complete the six-year curriculum cycle,” she said. “We’re gonna be doing Dana’s lessons for a long, long time.”

Another State High English teacher, Jennifer Evans, who has worked very closely alongside Mrs. Zuhlke since her first year at State High, said what stands out most is her compassion and warmth. “Mrs. Zuhlke cares so much. She has the biggest heart and really tries so very hard to connect with every student and every staff member in a kind and considerate, respectful way.”

Evans recalled that Zuhlke’s generosity often extended beyond her classrooms. “Mrs. Zuhlke is so kind and considerate that she often hosts our English department meeting Christmas party, and she invites all of us, past and present, current employees, retirees, and all of our significant others to her house and makes sure that we all feel welcome and celebrated, and we get to enjoy a really nice time.” 

Looking ahead

Even though she’s retiring, Zuhlke doesn’t plan to fully leave the world of education as she wants to come back and “sub occasionally.” She’s also excited to travel with her husband, spend more time with her family and grandkids, and continue her work in her church. 

“I’m in the process of becoming an authorized lay worship leader. I actually do some preaching in my church… I’m excited about that,” Zuhlke said.

As she reflects on her career, she’s most grateful for the relationships she’s built. 

“I will miss my colleagues. I’ll miss the students,” she said. “I won’t miss writing bathroom passes throughout the block, especially fourth block. But…I will miss helping students, especially individually, or sharing something that I can see is resonating with them.”

Zuhlke’s time at State High has touched hundreds of students and teachers. Through every paper, every class discussion, and every kind and encouraging word, she has shown what it means to teach with both intellect and heart. Her lessons will stay with the State High and the people she’s inspired for many years to come.