GM grad receives Massachusetts regional Excellence in Teaching Award

On May 6, Angelae Wunderle of Chester was awarded a 2026 Pioneer Valley Excellence in Teaching Award as an Outstanding Educator in the Hampshire Regional School District in Massachusetts.

Sponsored by The Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation and The Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation, the award recognizes exceptional public and parochial school teachers in Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties.

Wunderle is a first-year mathematics teacher at Hampshire Regional High School in Westhampton, Mass., and teaches Algebra I and II to ninth- through 11th-grade students. A 2020 graduate of Green Mountain Union High School, she received a B.A. in Mathematics from Drew University in Madison, N.J., in 2024 and a Master of Arts in Teaching from Boston University in 2025.

Colleagues at Hampshire Regional High School highlighted Wunderle through their nominations, expressing how impressive it was for a first-year teacher to receive this prestigious honor. Additionally, they emphasized her demonstrated excellence in teaching mathematics within a collaborative learning environment, noting how she cares about her students and shows school spirit by attending activities, sporting events and performances.

“She’s creative, constantly looking to improve on her own practices, while being supportive and empowering to her colleagues.” said colleague Joel Castillo. He continued, “I think her ability to break down the information and make it relatable to students is a prime example of her understanding of the subject matter. She’s not just giving facts or lecturing, she’s finding ways to make connections between math and things of interest to students. She’s helping them learn to problem solve and be self sufficient, and to truly believe they can be great at math.” Castillo concluded, “Any school would be lucky to have a teacher like Ms. Wunderle!”