Freehold Township High School Teacher Earns Fulbright Teacher Exchange Award

FREEHOLD, NJ — A teacher at Freehold Township High School has officially been named as the recipient of a Fulbright Teacher Exchange Award for 2025-26.

Dr. Angello Villarreal, a Spanish teacher at Freehold Township High School, was recently honored for his achievement, which comes from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

According to the program website, Fulbright Teacher Exchanges provide opportunities for elementary and secondary educators to develop their practice and bring global knowledge, skills and perspectives to their classrooms and schools.

Through exchange and professional learning programs, teachers like Villarreal aim to improve educational outcomes and prepare today’s youth for success in a globalized, interconnected world.

As a program participant, Villarreal is one of approximately 400 master teachers and administrators who participate in the Fulbright Teacher Exchanges each year.

On Thursday, he was honored for his achievement at a Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners meeting at the Hall of Records in Freehold.

Also in attendance were Freehold Regional High School District Superintendent Dr. Nicole Hazel and Freehold Township High School Principal Dr. Alicia K. Scelso.

Since 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided over 400,000 students, scholars, teachers, artists and professionals of all backgrounds with the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research abroad.

Through the program, Fulbrighters exchange ideas, build people-to-people connections and work to address complex global challenges.

Notable Fulbrighters include 62 Nobel Laureates, 93 Pulitzer Prize winners, 82 MacArthur Fellows, 44 heads of state or government, and thousands of leaders across the private, public, and nonprofit sectors.

Alongside being selected as a Fulbright Teacher for Global Classrooms, Villarreal was also recently named as a recipient of the TUMI USA Professional Award, representing New Jersey, which recognizes the achievements of Peruvians and Peruvian Americans in the U.S.

“This award is presented to you in recognition of your leadership and contributions serving as a Spanish educator at Freehold Township High School and RAISE Academy,” Governor Phil Murphy said in a letter to Villarreal. “Through your commitment to excellence in your professional career, you have brought pride and recognition to the Peruvian community of New Jersey.”

Outside of his time in the classroom, Villarreal also regularly works to give back to his students and the local community.

Over the summer, he and his family hosted a school supply drive to benefit Freehold’s K-8 students, collecting backpacks, highlighters, calculators and more for students and families in need.

“To me, this experience really helped me understand the power of community and that when people get together for a purpose, it can support everybody,” Villarreal said of the drive.

To learn more about the Fulbright Program, you can visit their website.

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• Freehold Family Gives Back To Community With School Supply Drive