By EmmaLee Italia | Correspondent

For Anne Reap, one of the defining moments of her career was helping five Catholic schools in the Diocese of Trenton consolidate into its first pre-K-12 school – known since 2005 as Trenton Catholic Academy. It is no doubt that her role in this transition, coupled with her unbridled enthusiasm for Catholic education, helped her earn an honor shared with only a few Catholic school principals nationwide.

As TCA’s Lower School Director, Reap has been awarded the National Catholic Educational Association’s 2015 Dr. Robert J. Kealey Distinguished Principal Award.  The award, which is presented annually in the United States by the NCEA Elementary Schools Department to a maximum of twelve principals, will be given April 7, on the opening night of the 2015 NCEA Convention and Expo in Orlando. Reap was nominated for the award by JoAnn Tier, moderator of the diocesan Office of Catholic Education and superintendent of Catholic Schools.

“I am both honored and humbled,” said Reap. “I feel this award is a reflection of the good work that is done by all every day at TCA, as we strive to fulfill our mission of providing quality Catholic education to the students in our care.”

NCEA’s criteria used to determine award recipients include, among others: assuming an active role in the community as a leader in civic, religious or humanitarian activities; providing creative leadership to inspire teachers and others to achieve and contribute to the school environment; acknowledgment by others that the principal is a force for positive change and increased or consistently high levels of student achievement. Nominees must have been an active principal in a Catholic school for at least five years and during the year nominated to be considered.

Appreciating the learning process is key for Reap, having watched her students grow both through the eyes of a teacher and the lens of a principal. She began her academic career as a teacher, with stints as third and fourth grade teacher at Our Lady of Lourdes School, Bethesda, Md.; first grade teacher at South Abington School in Clarks Summit, Pa.; kindergarten teacher at The Harmony School, Trenton; and pre-K teacher at Immaculate Conception School, Trenton, she served as principal in the six years leading up to the founding of TCA.

“The bottom line is: I love watching students and adults learn,” Reap said. “I love the process of learning. I love being a teacher.  I truly enjoy and respect children of all ages, and I am energized by the process of discovery.”

No stranger to the academic challenges of teaching, Reap took a hands-on approach when the Diocese announced its plans for the new combined academy. She took inspiration from a quote credited to Alexander Graham Bell: “When one door closes, another one opens.” With grace and dignity, she began the process of closing her school.

“I set about preparing my staff for the interview process that they would be encountering in the near future,” said Reap. “I provided résumé writing workshops and assisted teachers in compiling professional portfolios.  When it was announced I had been selected as the Lower School director of this new school, I looked forward to the opportunity to continue the mission of providing quality, Catholic education to the children in the Trenton area.”

Reap continued, however, to recognize and share the strong sense of loss among her faculty, staff and students.

“It was a delicate balance not only to look toward the future with hope and faith, but also to acknowledge the rich history of our school and cherish the memories created there.”

And no one could show more pride in her school than this principal, who, with hard work and tenacity, helped open the new TCA just two months later.

“Trenton Catholic Academy is a wonderful school, unique because we are a regional Catholic school PreK-12th grade, and with that comes an opportunity to experience a full spectrum of a child’s growth and development,” Reap said. “Our school members, faculty and students alike describe themselves as a family.  I cannot think of a more positive word to describe our school community.”

In 2014 Reap was also honored at TCA’s Iron Mike Gala, receiving the Distinguished Educator Award. However, Reap believes that working in Catholic education is its own reward.

“Those who serve in Catholic education have answered a call to do God’s work at the local level,” she said. “The greatest reward is seeing children grow into confident young adults centered in Christ making a positive change in our world.”