LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Marie Phelan was nominated by her principal, Phyllis DeLucia.

"I have known Marie Phelan as a special education teacher at the Piscataway Regional Day School for 18 years.  However, Marie has worked at the school for over 35 years," said DeLucia. "I've known many teachers throughout my 35 years in education.  Marie stands out among them.  Her compassion for her students and ability to reach students with varying types of disability is extraordinary."

"Over the years that I've worked with Marie, she has taught many students and had many positions within the school," said DeLucia. "Every time she was asked to do something out of her comfort zone, she more than rose to the challenge.  She would assist in all school events, even after work hours, to ensure her students participated and enjoyed the events."

Approximately four years ago, Ms. Phelan was tested both as an educator and a human being, when one of her children unexpectedly passed away.  This event would have made any person sink into a darkness like no other.  Ms. Phelan returned to work after several weeks and did not miss a beat with her students.

"I was in absolute awe of her strength and dedication.  Those students brought her comfort, and she has been a guiding light to them," said DeLucia. "For someone to dedicate that many years to students with special needs and consistently be a caring, loving, devoted teacher to every student for all of those years, she absolutely deserves this acknowledgement."