It is not every day that you meet somebody still smiling their way through the work day and loving their job after 40 years, but one Chartwells employee at Winona State University can be seen constantly smiling and still loving her job 40 years later.

Winona State and the Chartwells staff are celebrating Susie Przybylski’s employment at Winona State for the last 40 years.

Przybylski works as a dishwasher in the Jack Kane Dining Center. She does behind the scenes work in the kitchen that not many people know about. Przybylski works specifically with the carousel of dirty dishes, taking the empty plates and separating the food from the silverware then rinsing the dishes before they are deep cleaned.

Przybylski has been working at Winona State since before she finished high school. She is a staple to the Chartwells team and is cared about by many employees and students here on campus.

Randy Schroeder, the Chartwells assistant director, has worked with Przybylski for the last three years.

“Susan is a delight to work with and she makes everyone around her happier. She’s always smiling,” Schroeder said.

Przybylski shared the she enjoys her job at Winona State because of the people she works with and the friends she has made.

“I like it here, I would never choose to work on a different college campus,” Przybylski said.

She keeps it short and simple, making it clear Winona State is the place for her.

Cleaning college student’s dishes is not the most glamorous job, but Przybylski still works hard and enjoys what she does with a smile on her face every day.   

“It’s not a fun job, but Susan does it well,” Schroeder said.   

Przybylski appreciates how well all the students follow the cafeteria rules and says she could not ask for anything better.

The Chartwells staff threw Przybylski a surprise party to celebrate her 40-year anniversary working at Winona State to allow the staff, as well as Przybylski’s friends and family, to celebrate together.

To the students and employees that know Przybylski, she is more than just an employee at Winona State.

Working every day from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. is an exhausting job, but it allows Przybylski to spend time with her family and go out to eat, two of her favorite things to do when she is not working.   

Przybylski keeps busy between work, family and friends, never having a dull day. Outside of working in Jack Kane Dining Center, she spends a lot of her time with her family, especially her mom and sister.

Przybylski’s mom and sister came to surprise her at her 40-year anniversary party and got to meet all of her friends and coworkers at Chartwells.

Przybylski has made a big impact on a lot of people here at Winona State, not just other Chartwells employees.

Joe Reed, the student activity director in Kryzsko Commons, had nothing but good things to say about Przybylski.

“She is a person that everyone just falls in love with,” Reed said. “She takes her job seriously in the dish room. She is always smiling yet shy and never complains. Susie is a model employee. She’s a joy to be with and it always humbles me in a sense that there’s a lot we all can learn from her. She truly is special.”