Education Student Recognized as Clinical Intern of the Year
Victoria Pugliese ’23 has been awarded the Bloomfield College Clinical Intern of the Year award. She was recognized at the 2023 Distinguished Clinical Intern & Cooperating Teacher Awards ceremony hosted by the New Jersey Association of Colleges of Teacher Education at Rider University on June 7, 2023.
This award and recognition touts the work of graduates of educator preparation programs in the state’s colleges and universities.
“Over the course of her clinical internship, Victoria demonstrated all the skills of an effective teaching candidate,” said Teacher Education Instructor Michelle Brown-Grant. “She has a natural ability in education. She is professional, has a good rapport with children and collaborates well with her cooperating teachers. She will be an asset to our profession.”
Pugliese, who received high honors or honors each semester, transferred to Bloomfield College in January 2020 to major in Early Childhood Education.
“The pandemic required me to attend remotely shortly after I started, but thankfully I was able to participate in student teaching over two semesters at Oradell Public School,” she said. “I really enjoy teaching children and seeing them grow and learn. I was thrilled to be honored by Bloomfield and to be recognized by the state for my clinical work in my chosen profession.”
After graduating in May, Pugliese was offered and accepted her first professional position as a teacher at Bergen Arts and Science Charter School in Garfield, New Jersey. “I am filling a temporary maternity leave position from August through March, and am hoping for a tenure track position in the future there. I am really looking forward to this teaching experience.”
Since 1985, the Presidents of New Jersey’s teacher training institutions have been invited to submit the dossiers of their three most outstanding prospective teachers into competition for the state award. All submitted nominees who are selected as their program’s Clinical Intern of the Year are recognized at the annual awards ceremony.
Photo: Bloomfield College Teacher Education Instructor Michelle Brown-Grant (photo left) and newly named 2023 Bloomfield College Clinical Intern of the Year, Victoria Pugliese ’23.