‘Profe’ to the World

Growing up in Lima, Peru, Angello Villarreal was the eldest of his siblings and cousins — a role that naturally placed him in charge. He found himself teaching and mentoring younger kids, discovering early on that he loved helping others succeed. Coaching basketball in the rough but beautiful Callao region, he was unknowingly laying the foundation for his life’s work. 

Two decades and many challenges later, and Villarreal — who now holds a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degree — has been named one of the Top 50 Educators Around the World by The Educator’s Room, LLC. This April will mark 20 years since he moved to the United States. 

“Much of my inspiration is from my former teacher in Peru, Profesor Cesar Bejarano,” said Villarreal, who is now a Spanish teacher at Freehold Township High School. “He is the one who saved me from falling many times and spent so much of his time since he saw something in me that I didn’t see.” Villarreal says that Bejarano’s example helped him to see his students beyond the lesson and never label a student by a letter grade.

Prior to his teaching career, Villarreal was a personal trainer, waiter, and worked in sales and then management at Raymour & Flanigan, where he achieved President’s Club status, ranking in the top 1% of sales. In 2018, while working at the furniture store, he decided to obtain his teaching degree. He enrolled at Monmouth University to get his master’s and worked as a graduate assistant. 

“That was one of the hardest decisions,” he recalled, “as I knew for a fact that I had to do a year-long student-teaching, which is usually unpaid. 

“My son was already 1 year old, so while going to school full-time, I was working three different side jobs to keep paying the bills.”

Villarreal saw himself being unhappy in the future and realized he wasn’t making a difference, even though he was very good at his sales job.

“So I thought to myself, ‘Why not put all my effort, sweat and tears into education as I knew I always wanted to do it?’ And the rest is history.”

Villarreal began his teaching career with the Freehold Regional High School District in September 2021. Within the district, the township high school is his home; and for the past two years he has also been teaching at the Regional Alternative Instruction for Success in Education (RAISE) Academy, working directly with students who are learning English as a language and culture.

“I have always taught Spanish, levels 1 and 2. This year I am lucky enough to teach five classes of Spanish 1 with amazing co-teachers, and it is something great as I love teaching freshmen students.” 

In addition to teaching Spanish, he leads and advises The Brotherhood, a mentoring group that provides young male students a forum to discuss leadership, life experiences, mental health, and goal-setting. Last year, district leaders conducted mock interviews with members, helping them develop professional etiquette, dress for success, and strengthen soft skills such as eye contact, a firm handshake, and interview confidence. The group meets monthly, and Villarreal also maintains individual mentoring relationships with students throughout the year.

His wife Kelly is also a teacher in the school district, educating students in social studies at Colts Neck High School.

“I have learned so much from her as she has been a teacher for longer than me,” he said.

Villarreal said one of the most satisfying moments in the classroom is seeing a student’s confidence grow.

“From something as small as speaking a new language in my classroom, to even years later sharing that they got accepted to their dream universities or jobs, knowing that I was their teacher and I was able to share moments with them makes me proud,” he said. “I always feel that as an educator, I need to support my students beyond the four walls of my classroom.”

Villarreal has had many students reach out over the years, sharing their stories, goals, achievements, and challenges. 

“The one that I still think hits me the most is from a former student who wrote me this email and sent me a picture of a tattoo with these symbols: CCXIII△ 

“It’s your classroom number. I’m thankful for you and for your class. I wouldn’t have gotten through high school if it weren’t for the safe space that you created in your classroom. I never felt stressed or pressured at all and it helped me have a place where I could feel calm. Junior and senior year sucked as I was failing most of my classes and very close to not even going to the next year nor graduating. You gave me a place where I never felt judged for struggling or for having a hard time completing my classwork. My mental health was decreasing and I spent most of my lunches during my senior year in the guidance office or crying. I was struggling on finding out who I was and knowing who I was, or if I even wanted to be alive. You made it easier and never made me feel ashamed for having a difficult time and I appreciate that more than anything. I wanted to be able to honor you and honor your classroom for making my last years of high school bearable and never giving up on me even when I gave up on myself. Thank you for that.”

The student said the triangle was added because it reminded them of how Villarreal writes his letter ‘A’.

Now known as “Profe,” a shortened form of professor (or profesor, in Spanish), Villarreal was selected from more than 500 applicants worldwide for the 2026 Top 50 Educators distinction.

Outside of teaching experience, the selection committee focused on how educators were able to help students and the community beyond the classroom and how they were able to expand and promote education in the wider world. The committee wanted to see candidates who were creating opportunities for students and building a meaningful legacy. 

“Being nominated, and then selected, means so much to me. I always thought that I should not just say to myself: ‘I am just a teacher’ and limit myself as such. As I kept growing in the profession, meeting inspiring educators, working with amazing colleagues, and most importantly being a teacher to amazing students, I found myself growing beyond just my lessons in my classroom and always looking and thinking: ‘What else can I do?’”

Villarreal has stepped outside of the classroom, presenting at national conferences, editing and authoring different books and peer-reviewed articles, volunteering as a speaker at parent-community meetings, creating The Brotherhood, and most recently being part of the Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms fellowship program*. He is the editor of the book “Hispanic Scholar Perspectives on Student Support and Community Empowerment.”

“I do all of these things mostly to see what else I can learn so that I can support and advocate for my own students,” he commented. “I don’t see this award from The Educator’s Room as a culmination or the end of what I want to do, but I see it as another push to do more in life, and do more for my students and community. 

“Something I have never expected from receiving an award as such is how much it meant to other young teachers, to my current and former students, and even to people whom I have worked with in the past,” he said. “I get multiple messages on TikTok, Instagram and LinkedIn from student-teachers, former students, and friends from Peru that they feel inspired by what I have done or am doing, and it motivates them to keep moving forward. That means more than anything.”

He has also received honors from the New Jersey Department of Education, the New Jersey Education Association, the Governor of New Jersey, state legislators and members of the U.S. Congress — including the National Champion on Equity Award from the American Consortium for Equality in Education.

Always looking forward, Villarreal said that there is a lot on the horizon for this year, personally and professionally. As a Fulbright scholar, he will travel to Uruguay to teach for two weeks this summer. The Fulbright Teacher for Global Classroom Program is a U.S. Department of State initiative that enables selected teachers to immerse themselves and promote global education and cultural exchange. “This experience will help me bring a more global perspective to my students and community and it is a great opportunity to grow as an educator,” he said.

Villarreal is also writing two books: One is a children’s book called “Two Homes, One Heart” about his own American-Peruvian children: Ricardo, 8, and 4-year-old twins Elliana and Alejandro. 

“I am proud to say that I am an American, and also proud to say that my roots are from Peru. My own children at home love that and always want to learn more about my past. Coming to the U.S. was never easy, but with lots of sacrifice, dedication, and learning how to get back up when we fall, everything can be possible,” he said, laughing that he has now spent more time living in New Jersey than in Peru.

His other book is a personal epistolary memoir where he reflects on his challenges growing up.

“My life has never been full of wins and success stories,” Villareal said. “I have failed multiple times in many different scenarios. The biggest I always share is failing the Praxis Core [Academic Skills for Educators’] Writing portion nine times. 

“I almost gave up thinking that it was a sign that teaching wasn’t meant for me, but once my son was born I knew I couldn’t give up. Funny enough, the test was telling me that I wasn’t good at writing; yet, a couple of years later I obtained my doctorate, and published books and peer-reviewed articles. I always share this story with all my students, as I always tell them: ‘A letter grade does not define who you are.’ It is okay to fail, but we must keep pursuing our dreams,'” he said.

In his spare time, Villarreal takes karate lessons at Art Beins Karate in Freehold, joining the same dojo as his children. “The instructors and community at Art Beins are so great, and with this I want to lead by example and, hopefully, motivate my own children and keep being a role model to them,” he said, noting that Master Carl Beams and Master David Jahn are former students of Freehold Regional High School District. He also credited his son Ricky for organizing a school supply drive at Art Beins last year, donating all items to Meet the Need of Freehold.

Villarreal, who loves living in Freehold, often runs into former students at restaurants, grocery stores, and at their own businesses. When he hears someone yell out “Profe!,” his heart swells with pride and he’s reminded of the true reach of his work. 

*Fulbright Teacher Exchanges are programs sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), with funding provided by the U.S. Government and administered by IREX. For media inquiries, contact ECA-Press@state.gov