Nursing tutor M’Kenzee Smith of Ottawa has been named Illinois Valley Community College’s 2026 Outstanding Part-Time Faculty Award recipient.

Smith, along with nominees Mary Greve, Brent Hanson and Morgan Myre were honored earlier this month during IVCC’s annual employee recognition event.

“To be recognized is both humbling and rewarding,” Smith wrote in a news release. “This award reflects the impact I hope to have on students and my goal of making learning relatable and realistic, so it has a lasting impact beyond the classroom.”

Smith, who previously served as a clinical and lab instructor, said tutoring allows her to provide more flexibility and individualized support to students.

“Students have different learning styles and not all content fits one approach,” she wrote.

In addition to her work at IVCC, Smith is a hospice and palliative care nurse practitioner and holds a Master of Science in Nursing, an advanced practice certificate in palliative care and a Doctor of Nursing Practice. She is also certified as a nurse practitioner in both family practice and adult-gerontology acute care.

“Making the connection between theory and practice is important because students will someday be my colleagues,” Smith said. “Ultimately, I hope to help students become thoughtful, confident nurses prepared to care for patients, support families, and continue growing throughout their careers,” she said.

Student Delaney Sheehan credited Smith’s teaching style in her nomination.

“This professor is the main reason I am passing my nursing courses,” Sheehan wrote. “She is truly amazing and provides such a safe place for learning. She applies every lesson to the hospital setting and always reminds us how we can be safe and caring, more than just a nurse.”

Smith graduated from IVCC in 2012 and returned to teach in 2022. She and her husband, Collin, have two children, Kallum and Remy.

After earning the local award, she will now be considered for the state’s Outstanding Part-Time Faculty Award.