Ada Hetland, an administrative secretary in the School of Nursing, will retire May 31 after working at NIU for almost 34 years.

“I have enjoyed working with the faculty, staff and students,” Hetland said.

One of her favorite NIU memories is watching nursing students go through the pinning process.

“It gives me great pleasure seeing the families’ faces when they smile, as they see their son or daughter get that nursing pin,” she said. “By the work I do in the School of Nursing, I feel like I have helped them accomplish that goal.”

Through her career, Hetland was able to go back to school, an opportunity she said she wouldn’t have had if it wasn’t for NIU.

“When I first started working at NIU, I decided to take courses on a part-time basis. Then after a few years, I declared my major and stayed here, working full time and attending school part time while raising my family,” Hetland said. “If it wasn’t for NIU, I would have never received my bachelor’s degree.”

Hetland said she has enjoyed working on numerous committees at the university, especially the Operating Staff Council.

The Operating Staff Council is a committee that allows issues to be addressed by NIU staff and employees.

“I believe that the employees have to be involved in order to be recognized,” Hetland said.

Hetland, who has a degree in Spanish literature, said she does not have any immediate retirement plans but wants to spend time traveling and reading.

“Because of my full-time job, I have not been traveling a lot,” Hetland said. “I plan on traveling and using my timeshare more.”

Hetland said that although her job can be tough at times, she has enjoyed helping and watching the School of Nursing grow.

“It takes a lot of energy to run a department like nursing,” Hetland said. “We all pitch in. The staff at the School of Nursing, the administration and the faculty have to be proud of this department.”