Passaic County honors Alyssa Petar as 2025–26 Teacher of the Year; she urges students to "see themselves" as engineers

The Passaic County Board of County Commissioners issued a proclamation recognizing Alyssa Petar as the county’s 2025–26 Teacher of the Year and read a citation outlining her academic credentials and her work developing Manchester Regional High School’s engineering and STEM program.

Petar, an engineering and STEM teacher who has taught in the district since 2014, accepted the honor and described her teaching philosophy in brief remarks. She asked the audience to picture what comes to mind when they think of an engineer and said her goal is that "every single student, no matter their education level, no matter their background, feels as if they can be an engineer." She emphasized building classroom environments where students feel confident and valued.

The proclamation summarized Petar's educational background and program work, noting dual bachelor's degrees and a master’s in science curriculum and development, her role establishing the engineering program, mentoring colleagues, advising science and STEM clubs, and organizing summer STEM camp and other hands-on learning opportunities.

No board action beyond the proclamation was required. The administrator and commissioners took photos with Petar following the presentation; officials thanked her for her service to students.