TCNJ

2 The College of New Jersey Magazine MASTER CLASS I want to send kudos to photographer Peter Murphy for the winter 2026 cover photo. He perfectly captured the joy of an amazing elementary teacher and her students. JOHN DeGOOD, computer science professor TALK UP AN ESTEEMED EDUCATOR I'd like to highlight teacher Charles "CJ" Peters '04 ("Just a teacher? Just a minute," winter 2026). At 33 years old, he returned to school and pursued his dream of becoming an educator. He had a remarkable 18-year teaching career with Mercer County Corrections, guiding 328 inmates to earn their GEDs and helping six inmates earn college credits. His passion for teaching was rooted in a powerful mission: to do everything he could to reduce recidivism by showing his students that education could open doors to a better future. He treated his students with empathy, dignity, and respect — as learners, not inmates — and in turn, earned their trust and admiration. Peters exemplifies the very best of TCNJ's teaching program: educators who change lives, inspire hope, and build pathways toward lasting change. PREM ANDRZEJEK LUKOSE '94 " AMAZING WORK, TOM. YOUR PASSION FOR YOUR WORK SHINES. " KRIS BLACK-FEDERICI, of Tom Ruggia, CEO of Samsara Vision ("A true visionary," fall 2025) Running men Davon Wanza '18 and Aaron Wilson Watson '18 made a deal: They would both enter the lottery for the Osaka Marathon in Japan. Wanza, who lives in Osaka and works as a hotel manager for Cosmos Hotel Management Co., didn't get in. Watson, who lives in Washington, D.C., and serves as a director of video in the U.S. House of Representatives, did — so he traveled to Osaka for the race. Wanza later earned a spot in the Kyoto Marathon, giving both friends a chance to cheer each other on in Japan. Wanza Watson W I N T E R 2 0 2 6 TCNJ MAGAZINE TCNJ MAGAZINE GETTING TO HAPPILY EVER AFTER THE GOAL IS CLEAR THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE RESEARCHER inside "I'm just a teacher." Our humble alumnI dIsmIss theIr ImpOrtance. We knOW they are eVerythInG.

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