Outstanding Newark secondary school teacher to be honored at Princeton commencement

PRINCETON, NJ — Princeton University will honor four outstanding New Jersey secondary school teachers at its 2022 commencement on Tuesday, May 24. This year’s recipients of the Princeton Prize for Distinguished Secondary School Teaching are Deborah Cella of Glen Rock High School, Alicia Rodriguez of Kent Place School in Summit, Devin Ryan-Pullen of Burlington City High School and Lee Snowden of University High School in Newark.

The teachers were selected for the award based on nominations from public and private schools around the state. They each will receive $5,000, as well as $3,000 for their school libraries.

“While teaching under pandemic conditions continues to be stressful and challenging for teachers across the nation, the four prize winners have been able to provide a truly exceptional education for their students,” said Todd Kent, director of Princeton’s Program in Teacher Preparation. “Although they work in different subject areas and in very different school settings, they all share a total commitment to the intellectual growth and emotional well-being of their students. Their stories are wonderful and inspiring, and the influence of their remarkable work is felt throughout their school communities.”

In selecting winners, the staff of the Program in Teacher Preparation, in reviewing the applications, considers recommendations from colleagues and students as well as evidence of the teachers’ accomplishments in the school and the community. The 10 finalists were visited at their schools by Rosanne Zeppieri, a member of the program staff. The winners were then selected by a committee chaired by Elizabeth Colagiuri, deputy dean of the college.

Snowden isn’t just a teacher at University High School in Newark; he’s also a graduate of the school. He returned to his alma mater to teach because he wanted to pay it forward. As the lead teacher and curriculum writer for the school’s Teacher Academy, he now helps prepare his students to become teachers themselves.

“He has helped bring the teaching profession to the forefront in our school,” one administrator said. 

“He helps create confident learners, critical thinkers,” another administrator said. “He is transformational for many of our kids.”

According to colleagues, Snowden helps students think about their lives beyond high school by setting high expectations and spending hours working with them outside of school hours. In addition to his work with the Teacher Academy, he is also a social studies teacher.

“He takes the time to get to know all students,” English teacher Stephanie Bowles-Jones said. “During lunch periods or after school, he bonds with, tutors and/or mentors scholars who may not even have him as a teacher.”

Students view Snowden as a role model. “He makes us feel like family, and that is important to all of us,” one student said.

“He teaches us to be comfortable with being uncomfortable,” another student said. “He puts us into different situations and guides us to handle everything with calmness and understanding.”

  University High School