Pascack Valley computer science and math teacher Nancy Ricca was honored as one of the four winners of the 2023 Princeton Prize for Distinguished Secondary School Teaching at the Princeton University Commencement ceremony on May 30. 

“I feel absolutely honored to receive this award, but I don’t think I would have received it without the help of my colleagues and my students,” Ricca said. 

In late November of this school year, PV administration surprised Ricca in her Honors Computer Science class to notify her that she had been nominated for the award.

“We felt that Ms. Ricca would be a top contender based on what she has been doing, not only in math but also with coding and computer science,” PV Principal John Puccio said. “Looking into cybersecurity now, she’s grown and made our programs what [they are], and we wanted to recognize her.”

Among various letters of recommendation, Ricca also had to submit a personal statement to the selection committee to provide her perspective on her work. According to Ricca, she wrote about how she found a passion for computer science as she began teaching it.

“I didn’t have a background in computer science, and about two weeks before I started at Pascack Valley in 2000, I was asked to teach computer science,” Ricca said. “I was literally two weeks ahead of the kids learning on my own, teaching myself, and I fell in love with it.”  

Then, Ricca continued to take classes and earned her master’s in mathematics with a concentration in computer science. 

“I’m continuing to learn because computer science is an ever-changing, growing field. I talked about my whole transformation [in the personal statement], and how now I’m still continuing to learn,” Ricca said. “Recently, it’s been cybersecurity. That wasn’t even a word when I was learning computer science.”

In February, administrators visited Ricca’s class again when she found out she advanced as a top 10 nominee. On April 19, Ricca learned that she had won the award as she was greeted with the largest classroom visit yet—including administration, fellow teachers, and students. The news was made public on May 16. 

“Over the last 24 years, I’ve taught so many wonderful students who always push me to step outside of my comfort zone,” Ricca said. “My colleagues and administration have always been so supportive of the things that I want to try in the classroom. My colleagues are wonderful, and we lean on each other.” 

At PV, Ricca teaches four different classes: Honors Precalculus and Honors, Advanced Placement, and Advanced Topics with Computer Science, the last of which she created. According to Ricca, she loves “every single one of them.” The classes are ever-changing as Ricca has started implementing cybersecurity into her Advanced Topics with Computer Science class over the past two years, as well as the WE Service-Learning program into her AP Computer Science class over the past six years. 

“I think she’s really thoughtful and reflective about creating lessons that engage students and help students to learn whatever the topic is,” District Supervisor of Mathematics & Computer Science, Dr. Mark Russo said. “She cares deeply about her students, and she definitely goes above and beyond in the time and the care she spends to try and do what’s best for them.” 

No matter the subject, Ricca values the relationships she has with her students. 

“My favorite memories are the ones when my students and I are laughing, having fun, bonding with each other, and getting to know each other,” Ricca said. “[I love] when we get excited over a math problem or when they figure out a comp sci problem and I see the smiles on their faces.”

This school year, PV senior Kareena Shah served as a teacher’s assistant for Ricca’s Advanced Topics with Computer Science class. According to Shah, one of the reasons she became a TA was that she did not want to leave Ricca after having her for five years. As a shy eighth grader taking Honors Computer Science with mainly upperclassmen, Shah said she appreciated Ricca’s welcoming nature from the first day of school, as it helped her feel comfortable in the new environment.

“Ricca is really enthusiastic, and you can see that her passion shows through in both precalculus and computer science. I think her ability to teach hard concepts in a way that’s conducive and easy for everyone is great. She really works with you,” Shah said. “She’s very freeform in her teaching, and you can see the real-life application of the things you’ve learned in the classroom. I really appreciate the fact that she also provides outside-of-school opportunities and always looks for ways for her students to do more.”

According to Puccio, the relationships Ricca makes with students are extremely valuable.  

“I do think that one of her best qualities is the connection she makes with kids,” Puccio said. “Between her passion and her connections, that makes her contagious.”

Ricca greatly values her students’ ideas. She started the Girls Who Code club after two former students approached her with the concept. Ricca also loves when her students find various computer science contests for her classes to participate in. 

“The reason why I am who I am is partly because of my students… they just make an impact on me every single day,” Ricca said. 

Ricca makes an impact on her students too, even inspiring their future career paths. According to Shah, she never considered a future in STEM when she first took a computer science class. After five years with Ricca, she has decided to pursue engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the fall. Shah believes the best lesson Ricca taught her is to never “keep yourself boxed in.”

“Being able to see Ricca as a role model in STEM, something which a lot of women don’t do, was really inspirational to me. Her passion really shines through more than anything,” Shah said. “I learned that you should do the things that you truly love doing because you’ll find the most happiness in doing that, and then that’s what encouraged me. She made the learning process so fun, even though it was difficult at times.” 

Besides Ricca’s first year of teaching at Park Ridge High School, PV is the only school she has taught at.  

“I love PV. It’s such a great place. It’s my second home,” Ricca said. “I spend a lot of time here with students that I see twice a day, sometimes three times a day. We’re just a big happy family.”  

Ricca not only has an impact on her students but also on her fellow teachers. 

“I think she’s a fantastic teacher, but I also think she’s an amazing collaborator,” Russo said. “I think she works very well with her peers, whether a teacher teaches the same subject as her or not. I think with her wisdom and her expertise, she definitely wants to share and help others get better too.”

Ricca believes that it is important to continue learning and growing every day. In fact, she plans to pursue a certificate in teaching cybersecurity this summer.

“I think one thing about me is that I just keep on learning,” Ricca said. “I’m a lifelong learner who just keeps on learning so that my students can benefit from that. That’s something that’s important to me.” 

Inspired by the book, “Brave, Not Perfect” by CEO of Girls Who Code Reshma Saujani, Ricca lives by the lesson in its title.

“I’m not a perfect teacher, and I don’t ever plan to be,” Ricca said. “But I think that’s what makes a good teacher.”