Marketing department secretary Ellen Panzer was treated like a queen on Wednesday.

For Secretary’s Day and Week, Panzer received flowers, a cake, earrings, numerous cards and was taken out to lunch.

“The cake was delicious,” Panzer said.

This amount of appreciation doesn’t just come during Secretary’s Week, though. Panzer, who has worked at NIU since 1991, said her work is acknowledged all the time.

“I’m always being thanked throughout the year,” Panzer said. “The professors and faculty I work for here are great. I hope most of the secretaries feel that way across campus.”

Panzer transferred to the marketing department two years ago after being the family, child and nutrition studies secretary.

“The reason I came over was that it was a promotion” she said. “I loved my secretarial job at FCNS also.”

Panzer added that she enjoys being apart of the department and working with the students and faculty. Every time a student or faculty member gets recognized for their achievements, Panzer enjoys knowing that she was able to help that person reach their goal.

Plus, her job never gets old because being a secretary is no longer just typing letters and doing other similar tasks, she said.

“The work that I do never becomes repetitive,” she said. “It’s helping students and faculty. It’s more administrative.”

Brett Kinsfather, a senior marketing major and the American Marketing Association president, said the workPanzer and marketing staff secretary Linda Schaller do is amazing.

“They are really the hubs of the department. They help to maintain the cohesiveness,” Kinsfather said.

He added that Panzer helps him gather forms and other things for the organization, and she goes beyond the call of duty.

“She helps me out incredibly. She’s like that with everyone,” he said.

Panzer, who is from Minnesota, said at the end of the semester things start to quiet down in the office, but that doesn’t mean things can’t get busy at any moment, especially with finals around the corner.

Sometimes, though, Panzer likes to relieve stress by taking a walk around the East Lagoon or making a lunch trip to Subway — especially since her life can be a little hectic.

“Between my grandkids and working full-time and a husband, I’m pretty busy,” Panzer, who also takes yoga classes, said. “My days fly by.”