Sarah Ziolkowska is a Canadian librarian and reading specialist who once worked as a reading teacher for children with learning differences. She is best known as the ex-wife of comedian Nathan Fielder, star of Nathan For You and The Rehearsal. Their marriage began quietly and ended in a private divorce years before Fielder’s fame grew further. 

Ziolkowska built her own career in education long before and after that relationship, choosing a private life over the spotlight her ex-husband now occupies. This profile covers her education, her career path, her marriage and divorce, and where her work stands in 2026.

Who Is Sarah Ziolkowska? (Overview & Quick Bio)

Nathan Fielder, her ex-husband, is a comedian, actor, writer, director, and businessman by trade. Ziolkowska’s own career has stayed rooted in education, first in Canada and later in California, including time near Culver City, USA.

Real Name, Birth Date & Family Background

Sarah Ziolkowska’s full legal name reportedly appears in some records as Sarah Joy McKenna. She was born on May 12, 1983, in Toronto, Canada. Her parents, reportedly named Eric and Deb, raised her in a Jewish household. Little else about her siblings or immediate family has been made public, since Ziolkowska has kept her upbringing largely private throughout her adult life.

Early Life and Background

Ziolkowska grew up in Toronto, spending much of her childhood surrounded by books. Friends and teachers described her as quiet and thoughtful, someone who preferred a library over a crowded classroom. She attended school book fairs and joined book clubs from an early age, building a habit that shaped her later education. That early curiosity fed directly into her personal growth and set the direction for her future career in libraries and learning.

Education Journey

Ziolkowska enrolled at the University of Toronto in 2002 and studied psychology. She graduated in 2007 with a Bachelor of Applied Science, a degree that gave her a strong grounding in how people learn. From there, she moved to Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, to study library science.

She earned a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science (M.L.I.S.) in 2009. During her time at Dalhousie, she worked as a teaching assistant and later as a teaching helper at the W.K. Kellogg Health Sciences Library. 

That combination of psychology and library training became the foundation for her work helping children build self-confidence and reading skills despite learning challenges.

What Is the Wilson Reading System?

The Wilson Reading System is a structured program built for students with dyslexia and other reading disorders. It relies on step-by-step teaching techniques rather than open-ended lessons, breaking reading down into small, repeatable skills. Ziolkowska’s certification in this system let her work directly with children whose learning differences made traditional classroom reading instruction difficult.

Career Timeline

Ziolkowska’s career moved through several roles across two countries, each one building on the last.

• Teaching assistant at Dalhousie University, supporting coursework tied to the W.K. Kellogg Health Sciences Library, where she helped build learning tools and video tutorials for academic research and reference services, including webcasts.
• Librarian at Park Century School in Culver City, California, starting around October 2012, working with students who had dyslexia and ADHD and building reading plans around customized learning methods, patience, and creative thinking.
• Head librarian at the Natural Sciences Library, followed by a role as reference librarian at Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
• Youth librarian at Halifax North Memorial Library, also known as Halifax North Memorial Public Library, where she ran library classes, literacy programs, and special events such as FoodSmart, and worked with the Wilson program for struggling readers.

Reading Specialist Role at Park Century School

At Park Century School in Culver City, California, Ziolkowska focused on reading comprehension for students with dyslexia. She used storytelling and hands-on teaching techniques to build confidence in students who had struggled for years. Teachers and parents who worked with her described her approach as patient and creative, and colleagues credited her compassion for helping reluctant readers stay engaged.

What Do Sarah Ziolkowska’s Employers Actually Do?

Fisheries and Oceans Canada is the government body responsible for managing Canadian fisheries and ocean resources, which meant Ziolkowska’s reference work there focused on scientific and policy research rather than children’s reading. 

The Natural Sciences Library served a similar academic research audience. Park Century School, by contrast, is built specifically for students with learning differences, where her background as a reading specialist had the most direct impact.

Meeting Nathan Fielder

Ziolkowska met Nathan Fielder in 2007 at a comedy show in Halifax, Nova Scotia, while he was still building his comedy career as a TV performer. Their friendship grew out of shared humor and mutual respect for intelligence. Dating followed naturally, and the relationship stayed grounded in simplicity and kindness rather than public attention. A proposal and wedding eventually followed, turning a quiet love story into a marriage.

Who Is Nathan Fielder?

Nathan Fielder is a Canadian comedian, writer, actor, and director known for his deadpan humor. He was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, and studied business at the University of Victoria before training in comedy at Humber College in Toronto. His early credits include This Hour Has 22 Minutes, but he became widely known for Nathan For You, a show where he pitched unusual marketing ideas to small businesses.

He later created The Rehearsal and The Curse, both docu-comedy projects that pushed television into stranger territory. The second season of The Rehearsal features Fielder taking on the role of a pilot flying a Boeing 737, filled with actors playing passengers, as he tries to talk to his co-pilot without revealing the show is staged. A third season has also been discussed following that trailer.

Marriage to Nathan Fielder

Ziolkowska and Fielder married in 2011 in a private ceremony attended only by close family and friends. At the time, Nathan For You had not yet turned Fielder into a recognizable name, so the couple’s early marriage stayed calm and largely out of public view. 

As the show gained attention, fame brought new pressure and more media attention into their lifestyle. Balancing his growing comedy career in Hollywood with her own work in education became harder to manage as the years went on.

Divorce From Nathan Fielder

Ziolkowska and Fielder separated in 2014, and the divorce was finalized in April 2015, citing irreconcilable differences. The filing went through Stanley Mosk Courthouse in Los Angeles, California. The couple had no children together, and both sides kept the process legal and respectful rather than public.

Fielder later spoke about the breakup in a 2017 interview with Rolling Stone, calling it painful and overwhelming at the time. He touched on it again in a 2022 interview with Vulture, describing the emotional pain of divorce and how it pushed him toward therapy with a therapist. 

The AV Club and New York Magazine both reported on his life afterward, including a later live-in relationship and dating life he mentioned ahead of the third season of The Rehearsal. For Ziolkowska, the years since have been described as a period of healing, self-growth, and resilience, with colleagues pointing to her strength, maturity, grace, and dignity in moving forward as a divorcee.

Divorce Court Record & Case Details

The case was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Courts as a Dissolution matter. Public court records confirm the case filing but include few details beyond standard legal proceedings, since neither party spoke about the case directly at the time.

Life After Divorce

After the divorce, Ziolkowska kept her life private and returned to her work as a librarian and reading teacher. She stayed away from public attention, focusing instead on her career as a reading specialist. Helping children build confidence through mentorship became central to her healing process. 

She has spoken about the value of self-care and mental health during that period, along with the wisdom that came from staying committed to lifelong learning and community growth. She has no public profiles on Instagram or Twitter, and has kept social media out of her daily life entirely.

Where Is Sarah Ziolkowska Now?

As of 2026, Ziolkowska continues her work in education, still based in California near Culver City and connected to schools like Park Century School that serve students with different learning needs. She has not remarried and has not been linked to a new partner publicly. 

Her lifestyle remains centered on work rather than fame, even as Fielder’s profile has grown further with The Rehearsal. Both former spouses appear to have moved on respectfully, with Ziolkowska staying out of the public eye and continuing her quiet life among students.

Net Worth and Lifestyle

Ziolkowska’s net worth is estimated between $400,000 and $500,000, built through years of steady work in libraries and schools rather than any single windfall. Her income has come almost entirely from her career as a librarian, not from business deals or media attention. Fielder’s own net worth is reported closer to $3 million, reflecting his profession in television rather than hers in education. 

Ziolkowska’s lifestyle in Culver City, California, reflects stability and peace more than public wealth. For her, personal success has meant a modest life built around her librarian career, not the fame that follows her ex-husband.

Legacy and Impact

Ziolkowska’s legacy centers on literacy work with students who needed extra support to read confidently. Colleagues in education have pointed to her professionalism and consistent teaching style as reasons her programs at Park Century School and Halifax North Memorial Library lasted years rather than months. 

Her empathy and patience shaped how other educators approached students with learning differences, encouraging community growth around reading rather than isolated lesson plans. For Ziolkowska herself, the work has represented independence and dedication built entirely apart from her marriage, giving her career its own meaning and purpose separate from Fielder’s fame.

Conclusion

Sarah Ziolkowska’s biography is not defined by fame or the spotlight that follows Nathan Fielder. Her purpose has stayed with books, students, and readers throughout a career built as a librarian and educator. The celebrity divorce that once drew attention has faded, while her work helping children read has continued. 

Her strength, resilience, dedication, and compassion show up more clearly in her career than in any public statement, and the courage to keep her quiet life private has defined her just as much as her marriage once did.

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FAQs

Who is Sarah Ziolkowska? 

Sarah Ziolkowska is a Canadian librarian and reading specialist who previously worked as a reading teacher. She is best known as the ex-wife of comedian Nathan Fielder.

What does Sarah Ziolkowska do for a living? 

Sarah Ziolkowska works as a librarian and reading specialist, including time at Park Century School in Culver City, California, using personalized teaching methods to help students with dyslexia build confidence.

When did Sarah Ziolkowska and Nathan Fielder get married and divorce? 

Sarah Ziolkowska and Nathan Fielder married in 2011 in a private ceremony with close family and friends. They separated in 2014, and their divorce was finalized in 2015.

Why did Sarah Ziolkowska and Nathan Fielder divorce? 

Their divorce, finalized in 2015 after a 2014 separation, was filed citing irreconcilable differences. Both sides kept the process respectful, and the couple had no children together.

Does Sarah Ziolkowska have kids? 

Sarah Ziolkowska does not have kids. She and Nathan Fielder did not have children together during their marriage, and neither has publicly reported having children since.

Is Sarah Ziolkowska on social media? 

Sarah Ziolkowska is not active on social media. She keeps her private life away from platforms like Instagram and has no known public profiles.

What is Sarah Ziolkowska’s net worth? 

Sarah Ziolkowska’s net worth is estimated between $400,000 and $500,000, built through her career working in libraries and schools rather than any other source.

Where is Sarah Ziolkowska today? Did she ever remarry? 

As of 2026, Sarah Ziolkowska lives near Culver City, California, is connected to Park Century School, and keeps a private life focused on her career. She has not remarried and stays off social media.