Archdiocesan teacher wins Nonpublic School Teacher of the Year Award
Juliette Wester, AP World History teacher at Seton Hall Prep in West Orange, has been awarded the New Jersey Council for Private Education (NJ CAPE) Nonpublic School Teacher of the Year Award for 2022. She was nominated for the award in June. After a lengthy application and interview process over the summer, Wester was chosen for the award from a pool of three finalists.
The NJ CAPE Advisory Committee for Nonpublic Schools presented the award to Wester via a Zoom Award Ceremony on Sept. 20 by George V. Cornwell, Ed. D, Director of the Office of Education for the New Jersey Catholic Conference. Remarks were also given by Dr. Christopher Irving, Acting Assistant Commissioner in the Division of Field Services for the New Jersey Department of Education.
“Ms. Wester has been an invaluable resource to SHP students in need of extra help, notetaking skills and organizing their work,” said Michael Gallo, Headmaster at Seton Hall Prep. “She makes herself available to not only her students but also to students in the Support Academy and the Learning Assistance Program daily. When asked to teach AP World History, Ms. Wester embraced the opportunity. She mastered the unique techniques needed to prepare her students for the material and the various types of questions. Her success is evidenced by her students’ consistently high scores on the AP World History exam.”
I could not think of a teacher that more deserves the accolade of Teacher of the Year,” Webster’s former student Raymond Bonanno Jr said. “Ms. Wester’s class was dynamic, interesting, and streamlined. We covered 2,000 years of history and never once did I feel lost or confused. What I appreciated most about Ms. Wester’s class was the open discussions at the beginning of each class, which really helped reinforce and solidify my understanding of the readings and topics we covered.”
Wester is an alumna of the Archdiocese of Newark Catholic schools. She attended Our Lady of Sorrows Grammar School in Maplewood as a child, where her mother was also a teacher. She attended high school at the Academy of Saint Elizabeth in Florham Park. She possesses a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, Pa., and a Master of Arts in Education, Curriculum, and Teaching from Seton Hall University in South Orange, where she is also working toward a Master of Arts in History.
Wester stated that her Catholic faith has played a significant role in her teaching philosophy of compassion and “teaching to the whole child.” Having only attended and worked in Catholic schools her entire life, Wester emphasized the unique sense of compassion and community within Catholic schools.
“I think something unique to Catholic schools is the sense of community,” said Wester. “It is a group effort in a Catholic school, especially at Seton Hall Prep, and that makes for such a special experience. You get to see the students not just in the classroom but also participating in performances, sports, and service-related activities.”
She credited her successes as a teacher to her family, colleagues, and students. “Being recognized for this award was so amazing and really such an honor, but it is because I have been surrounded by such wonderful educators my whole life as both a student and a teacher,” said Wester. “I would not be getting this award if it were not for the privilege of being surrounded by so many wonderful teachers I have been taught by and have taught with.”
The Seton Hall Prep community will recognize Wester with a special school-wide announcement in the coming weeks.
Past award recipients from the Archdiocese of Newark schools include Julia Guthrie of Notre Dame Academy in Palisades Park in 2018, Jonathan Brooks of Our Lady of Guadalupe School in Elizabeth in 2015, and Joseph P. Napoli of St. Dominic Academy in Jersey City in 2005.
