As a student, Centrella was an Andrew J. Rider Scholar, an honor given only to the top one percent of upper-level students. She was also a member of several honor societies including Kappa Delta Pi and Alpha Lambda Delta. Her junior year she was inducted into Omicron Delta Kappa and became vice president of the organization the following year.
Teaching wasn’t even on Centrella’s mind when she enrolled as a psychology major at Rider.
She thought she wanted to become a guidance counselor, but was unsure of how to pave that career path.
“I didn’t quite know how to get from point A to point B. I was 18. No one knows what they’re doing at 18.”
In need of guidance herself, Centrella went to one of her professors in the psychology department who encouraged her to take some education courses to familiarize herself with the field. After taking one class, she knew what she had to do.
“I remember saying to my roommate, ‘What am I doing? Why am I not in the education department?” The next day she added a second major in elementary education.
During her time at Rider, Centrella became heavily involved in the education department and her student teaching experiences solidified her passion for her newfound career.
She was recognized as one of the 15 most outstanding prospective teachers in the state by the Department of Education and graduated summa cum laude with dual bachelor’s degrees in elementary education and psychology.
“I feel like I really figured out who I was as a person and up until that time, I was trying to be who everyone wanted me to be. It wasn’t until college that I thought to myself, ‘What do I want to do with my life?’”
There was never a time during my four years at Rider when I didn’t feel like I belonged. Everyone was there to support me in becoming the best teacher I could."
English Language Arts teacher, Caroline L. Reutter School
Finding her passion
Now in her ninth year as a teacher, Centrella is thankful for the guidance and support she received as a student.
“I never felt alone. There was never a time during my four years at Rider when I didn’t feel like I belonged. Everyone was there to support me in becoming the best teacher I could.”
In 2020, she was named the 2020-21 Gloucester County Teacher of the Year and recognized by Gov. Phil Murphy who sent her a congratulatory shout-out via Twitter. The award is a moment in her professional career she still cannot believe happened.
“It’s been the greatest privilege of my career.”
The honor recognizes New Jersey Education Association public school teachers who exemplify great dedication and success in working with their students. It is because of exceptional educators like Centrella that New Jersey has held the distinction of being named a top state for education by U.S. News & World Report several years in a row.