LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Dr. Jazmin Puicon was nominated an anonymous family member.

Dr. Puicon is a LifeChanger to her students in the city of Newark. She loves teaching, and she cares for her students. She goes above and beyond the call of duty for them every day. She has secured over $10,000 in grants for her classroom to provide her students with supplies and extracurricular educational experiences.

During the pandemic, when schools closed and students had to learn virtually from their homes, she secured grants to provide her students with blue light-filtering glasses. Her goal was to ease the hours behind the screen and fruit diffuser water bottles to be sure they stayed hydrated and healthy while learning. When they returned to the classroom, her $10,000 in grants transformed her classroom into a safe space to learn and grow. Her students in all of her classes have exceeded expectations, outperforming their peers in state tests, a tribute to the hard work and ability of Dr. Puicon. 

 "The reason I have been so successful in providing a rich teaching experience for my students is my personal history as a first-generation college student," said Dr. Puicon. "I'm a daughter of immigrants from Latin America who had to fight extremely hard for every accolade. My students often remark they wish they had a professor like me earlier in their lives, which is perhaps the best compliment I can get. I started on this path of teaching and research to be the teacher I never had growing up – one that celebrates the complexities of the Afro-Latinx experience and the contributions of people of all colors in the fights for liberation and freedom all over the Americas. This experience is my history and the history of many of my students. It is worth celebrating and exploring in every course I provide."

Dr. Puicon not only cares for her students at Bard HS, but she has also contributed to the education of students throughout Newark. This past summer, she served as a lead curriculum writer for the Newark Board of Education, developing a new course that centers on the everyday history of people in Latin America and the Caribbean.

"This course brings my work full circle," said Dr. Puicon. "Now, students across all high schools in Newark will have access to this rich and complex material that centers the lives of everyday people in the Americas – people who fought back, resisted, rebelled, and made history. One of my greatest joys as a teacher is watching my students' transformation as they begin to understand how history works and how it can be either invalidating or a source of empowerment."

Dr. Puicon is the definition of teaching excellence; she was a teaching fellow at the Pulitzer Center and is the current Open Society University Network CLASP Fellow and Talloires Network Engaged Faculty Award Recipient. She was Teacher of the Year for 2022 at Bard HS. This year, the NAACP recognized her for centering the Black experience in her classroom and coursework. She also received the Mildred Barry Gavin Prize from the New Jersey Historical Commission, given annually to K-12 educators for outstanding teaching of African American history, or outstanding performance in a related activity. In May, she received her Ph.D. in history from Rutgers University, which presented her with the School of Graduate Studies Excellence in Outreach and Service Award for her work at Bard HS Early College. She teared up talking about this pivotal moment in her career and what it meant to her and her students. 

"I walked across the stage in May 2022 with my three children by my side and my students at Bard High School Early College cheering me on," said Dr. Puicon. "They got the chance to attend my graduation via live stream. They sent me messages of joy and pride, and we cried tears of happiness together when I returned to the classroom. It was one of the most beautiful experiences, and I will never forget it." 

"I understand the struggle of first-generation college students, minority students, and other underrepresented students because I, too, was one," said Dr. Puicon. "I successfully navigated academic life because irreplaceable mentors believed in me, my work, and my life goals. Therefore, my goal as a teacher is to tap into the potential in my students, build up their strengths, and challenge them as we learn about silenced people and experiences in history. I build upon my personal experiences, successes, and failures to mentor my students and provide them with an ally that encourages them to follow their dreams as I did mine."

"Her commitment and excellence in teaching the students of Newark deserve recognition. Her story could inspire other first-generation, under-represented students to become teachers in districts where the student population is as diverse as Newark," said her nominator. "Her story reminds us that there are heroes doing good work and making a difference in many lives. I am sure her impact will be felt in Newark for years."