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February 27, 2026 – Angela Sabetta, ��Ʒ���˸������� University’s first student in the Master’s Program for the Teaching of Italian, was awarded the prestigious Future Language Educator Award funded by Vista Higher Education offered by the Northeast Conference for Teachers, for Languages, for Cultures at the NECTFL conference on February 27 th in New York. The Executive Director, Christopher Gwin, congratulated Angela on her portfolio, and in particular her “keen interest in enriching the lives of children through music” and her work in “meeting children’s diverse needs with learning languages.” Angela is pursuing certification in the teaching of Italian and the teaching of students with disabilities.

In her years with the Italian Program here at ��Ʒ���˸������� University, Angela has distinguished herself, both in the classroom and beyond, in many ways. She has served as a Tutor of Italian at the Center for Academic Excellence, was awarded the Coccia-Inserra Italian Internship as well as an MSU Italian graduate scholarship and has been a valuable assistant for a number of Italian projects and events. This distinguished NECFTL award will support her in her practicum to complete licensure as she moves on to become an effective, inclusive and
innovative educator.

MAT Director Dr. Gina Miele commented: “I am especially proud that Angela Sabetta, the first student in our Dual MAT in Italian and Teaching Students with Disabilities program, won the prestigious Future Language Educator Award from NECTFL, the Northeast Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.

Last year, Angela was the recipient of the Cavaliere Mary Ann Re PhD Scholarship for Graduate Studies in Italian. She also participated in Montclair’s Reggio Emilia Immersion course and study abroad program in Spring 2025. This year, she also garnered a scholarship from the National Organization of Italian American Women for her graduate studies.

The Reggio Emilia approach is a globally renowned philosophy that views students as capable, curious individuals who actively shape their learning, and Angela has applied it with great success in her classroom.”

Angela had the following to say about this special distinction from NECTFL: “When I learned that ��Ʒ���˸������� University is the only university in the whole state offering a dual- certification program for both Italian and TSOD, applying was a no-brainer. World Language classes are inherently inclusive, so I wanted to ensure that I would be fully prepared to serve students of all abilities, P-12. This training also serves as a career change for me, having had a decade-long run in the music industry. This time last year, I attended the Reggio Children conference in Northern Italy and learned about how the classroom can act as a ‘third teacher. I cannot wait to transfer all of my working skills and newly acquired knowledge on teachin’g methodologies to my classroom!”

The Italian Program is happy and proud to add that Angela has recently accepted a teaching position in Italian in a Bergen County public school.