Princeton University has announced the names of the four outstanding New Jersey secondary school teachers chosen to be honored at its 2025 Commencement on Tuesday, May 27.

This year’s recipients of the Princeton Prize for Distinguished Secondary School Teaching are Davine Floy of the Newark School of Data Science and Information Technology, Laurianne Brunetti Kuipers of Memorial Middle School in Fair Lawn, An Nguyen of Camden Catholic High School in Cherry Hill, and Theodore Opderbeck of Waldwick High School.

They each will receive $5,000, as well as $3,000 for their school libraries.

“The selection committee recognizes these four individuals as the kind of educator whose imprint on students lasts far beyond their time in the classroom. They are committed to their students, are dedicated to the craft of teaching, and contribute in countless ways to their communities,” said Michael Gordin, dean of the college and the Rosengarten Professor of Modern and Contemporary History.

“These four extraordinary teachers demonstrate the remarkable teaching taking place across the state of New Jersey,” said Todd Kent, director of Princeton’s Program in Teacher Preparation, when the recipients were announced.

Ten finalists were selected by the Program in Teacher Preparation staff and visited at their schools by Rosanne Zeppieri and Paul Chapin, members of the program staff. The four winners were then selected by a committee chaired by Elizabeth Colagiuri, deputy dean of the college, that also includes Kent; Jennifer Jennings, professor of sociology and public affairs and a faculty associate of the Office of Population Research; Sabine Kastner, professor of psychology and neuroscience; and William Miron, principal of Millburn High School in New Jersey and a 1978 Princeton University graduate. The selection committee also considers recommendations from colleagues and students as well as evidence of the teachers’ accomplishments in the school and the community.

Princeton has honored secondary school teachers since 1959 after receiving an anonymous gift from an alumnus to establish the program. “As a proud product of New Jersey public schools myself, I have always particularly valued that the University applauds superlative teachers like the ones who shaped my path,” Gordin said.

Davine Floy

Davine Floy

Photo courtesy of Davine Floy

Davine Floy is a ninth grade biology teacher at the Newark School of Data Science and Information Technology, a high school for students interested in pursuing STEM and IT careers.

A physician born and trained in Guyana, Floy was a neuroscience lab researcher at Rutgers University before becoming an educator, and she has brought that experience to the classroom.

In addition to establishing partnerships with institutions like Rutgers and Brookhaven National Laboratory, Floy organized her school's first STEM conference with a grant from the New Jersey STEM Pathways Network, which has since become an annual expo for student research projects.

An administrator said Floy’s background has “profoundly shaped her teaching practice and her ability to inspire her students.”

With Floy, a student said, “It’s not really a classroom, it’s a community. And an adventure!”

She has been in her current role for two years and eight with the district overall. Previously, she taught special education at East Side High School in Newark and biology at Frederick Douglass Academy II School in Harlem, New York.

A committed teacher who tutors students both in the evening and on weekends, Floy was also recognized as a key figure in her school’s extracurricular programs.

“Her pioneering initiatives, such as the Research Club and Energy Diamonds Club, connect students to advanced STEM research and career pathways,” said a colleague. “These programs are transformative.”

“Her passion for teaching, her energy and her ability to connect biology to the real world made every lesson feel like a journey of discovery,” said a student. “She made me realize that learning isn't just about memorizing things; it's about asking questions, making connections and finding joy in understanding the world around us.”

Laurianne Brunetti Kuipers

Laurianne Brunetti Kuipers

Photo courtesy of Laurianne Brunetti Kuipers

For 23 years, Laurianne Brunetti Kuipers has helped her students develop a love for literature, a commitment to citizenship and community service, and empathy for one another. The English teacher, who teaches seventh grade Language Arts, Literature Connections and Developmental Reading at Memorial Middle School in Fair Lawn, was selected by her school in 2001 and 2018 to be recognized by the Governor’s Educator of the Year Program.

“Her infectious and inspirational spirit, as well as her passion for literature shine through to all of us,” said a former student.

An administrator called Kuipers the “heartbeat of Memorial.”

Kuipers founded her school’s Character Education program, designing a nationally acclaimed curriculum that encourages students to be upstanding citizens. Under her leadership, Memorial received a National Schools of Character Award and a State Schools of Character Award. She also created Celebrate America, a popular club for community service projects, and the Points of Light student recognition program.

“Her classroom is a place where character education isn't just taught but lived and breathed,” said a colleague. “Kuipers is a rare gem whose dedication leaves a lasting legacy of compassion, excellence and humanity. She brings character education to life.”

Said an administrator: “Teaching is a science and an art. Ms. Kuipers is a master of both.”

Outside of her teaching responsibilities, Kuipers organizes events and fundraisers benefiting veterans, the local senior community and others.

“Kuipers is an extraordinary teacher, an inspiring leader and a quiet yet powerful force for compassion and humanity that resonates both in and outside of her classroom walls,” said a colleague. “She embodies excellence, not just as an educator, but as a role model for those around her.”

An Nguyen

An Nguyen

Photo courtesy of An Nguyen

An Nguyen is the director of STEM and robotics at Camden Catholic High School in Cherry Hill, where she also teaches 9th to 12th graders in science courses spanning biology, design thinking, robotics and engineering.

To prepare to teach design thinking, Nguyen earned a certificate in industrial design, enrolled in a Rutgers maker education program and self-published a class workbook. Now a freshmen favorite, the course paved the way for Nguyen to establish a competitive robotics team, an engineering and design program, and the school’s Innovation Lab maker space.

Nguyen has a Ph.D. from Drexel University. She joined Camden Catholic in 2018 after teaching at universities including The College of New Jersey and working as a STEM education consultant.

Colleagues credited Nguyen for expanding the school’s STEM curriculum, with a hand in virtually all courses and initiatives: “She is the STEM program," said one.

Outside of the classroom, she has mentored 25 students over the past three years. A former student called Nguyen “a mentor for life.”

“Dr. Nguyen’s ability to foster growth and innovation in her students has had a profound ripple effect,” said the student. “She is shaping the future of the next generation of innovators."

“Innovative educators teach their students to think and live differently,” an administrator said. “This is how we successfully educate the next group of future leaders.”

Theodore Opderbeck

Theodore Opderbeck

Photo courtesy of Theodore Opderbeck

Over 29 years as a social studies teacher at Waldwick High School, Theodore Opderbeck has inspired students to bring an entrepreneurial zest to business and civic engagement, locally and globally.

“From AP Economics to Criminal Justice to U.S. History, his lessons are not only rich in content but also emphasize skills and real-world application,” an administrator said. “Students leave his classes with a deeper understanding of the world and a readiness to navigate it with confidence.”

In an annual “Shark Tank” event, students in his economics and social entrepreneurship classes pitch ideas to members of the Waldwick Chamber of Commerce, whose critiques sharpen their strategies. His social studies students partnered with science and culinary arts students to create the Waldwick CSA, a farm that provides produce to a local food bank.

Colleagues also noted the vitality of his classes. “You can always walk by his room and see the magic happening — his students love being in his class and they love learning when they are in his room,” said one.

Opderbeck created the popular Waldwick High School Global Awareness Club, which partners with a school in Kisii, Kenya, to apply entrepreneurial thinking to local projects. He also advises the photography club and coaches varsity boys' tennis and varsity girls' volleyball.

“When he teaches, when he is coaching or if he is simply having a conversation, he puts 110% into everything,” one student said.

Among his many honors, Opderbeck was named his school’s Teacher of the Year in 2004 and 2012 and received the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Teaching Champion Award in 2017.