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John Mattern Alumni Award for Faculty

The John Mattern Award is named for the first headmaster of the school, an educator renowned for his ability to inspire and influence students and faculty alike.

The award recognizes a former faculty member who has provided an exceptionally high degree of individual attention to, and concern for, students in all areas of school life.

The Award

At Zurich International School – previously the American International School of Zurich (AISZ) and the International Primary School of Zurich (IPSZ) – there have been many extraordinary faculty members throughout our nearly 60-year history, teachers valued for their subject knowledge, teaching style, joy of working with students in and outside of the classroom, and extraordinary communication and mentoring skills.

The alumni of ZIS, along with the school, will honor these talented educators annually through the John Mattern Award.

Required

2025 John Mattern Alumni Award Nomination Form

Here is a list of eligible faculty and staff for the 2025 award, along with those who have become eligible in the past three years.

Who would you like to nominate?requiredIf you do not remember 1st name, write Mr, Mrs, Miss or Ms.
First Name
Last Name
If you do not remember 1st name, write Mr, Mrs, Miss or Ms.
Your Namerequired
First Name
Last Name

An impactful nomination tells the story behind the name. Why did this teacher stand out? Share the moments, values, or lessons that made a lasting difference.

Is there a particular story or experience that stands out? Your input helps our committee in selecting this year’s honoree.

Share your experience in writing, or if short on time, upload a voice note or video:

Attach up to 1 file with a maximum size of 20MB
No file chosen
Allowed file types: Audio, Video
Would you be open to us sharing a part of your nomination on social media or in a future alumni newsletter?required
Please let us know where you heard about the award eg - AlumniLinks Newsletter, Email, Instagram etc

Thank you so much for your nomination!

The 2025 John Mattern Award honoree will be announced in the late spring.

Honors

The honored faculty member will:

  • receive a prize of CHF 1,500 (funding provided by generous alumni donors)
  • be invited to campus and honored at a reception in his or her honor
  • speak before students and faculty and attend classes
  • be featured in ZIS communications and webpage
  • attend alumni events locally and globally, as available

Process

  • Every year, nominations for the award can be submitted by alumni, including former students, parents, faculty, and staff, as well as current parents. These nominations can be in written, audio, or video format and must adhere to specific criteria
  • A committee of alumni will select the final winner in May based on the nominations
  • The honoree will be announced later in the spring

 

The 2025 Committee

The following alumni serve on the John Mattern Alumni Award for Faculty committee. They select the honoree based on the nominations submitted by all alumni and current parents each year.

Ceyda Avunduk, Class of 2001 
Finn Borg, Class of 1974 
Christina Haupt, Class of 2010 
Harry Korine, Class of 1980 
Suzanne Rapetti-Hunsicker, Class of 1982
Tristan Upton, Class of 2014
Elsa Hernández-Donohue, Director

John Mattern