Alumni Spotlight:
Debra Grigoletti, Ed.D.
Doctor of Education
Class of: 2025
The Journey Continues…
Superintendent, Hackettstown School District
For Debra Grigoletti ’25, earning a doctorate from Centenary University was both the fulfillment of a longtime personal goal and preparation for the next chapter of a career devoted to education.
A resident of Bridgewater, New Jersey, Grigoletti built a career in educational leadership that included roles as an assistant principal, director of curriculum and instruction, and superintendent. Today, she serves as Superintendent of the Hackettstown School District, where she provides leadership across the district’s instructional programs, personnel, operations, finances, and strategic priorities.
“Earning my doctorate had always been on my bucket list,” Grigoletti said. “As I began getting closer to retirement, I also started thinking about what the next stage of my life might look like. I knew I wasn’t ready to simply stop working in education, but I also wanted to explore a different way of contributing.”
Looking at that next chapter led Grigoletti to Centenary University, where she earned her Doctorate in Education in 2025, also allowing her the opportunity to eventually teach at the post-secondary level and work with future educators and educational leaders.
For Grigoletti, returning to the role of student while continuing to lead a school district provided a valuable opportunity to reflect, learn, and grow. She said her doctoral experience strengthened her knowledge, challenged her thinking, and reminded her how much she enjoys learning as well as teaching.
Her professional accomplishments include receiving the NJMEA School Administrator Award in 2023.
As superintendent, Grigoletti remains focused on moving the Hackettstown School District forward and creating a foundation for continued success. Grigoletti hopes to finish her career as a superintendent on a strong note and eventually leave the district well-positioned for the leader who succeeds her.
“For me, success will be knowing that I left the district stronger than I found it, and that the work we put in place will continue after I am gone,”
Grigoletti said.
But Grigoletti does not see retirement from her superintendent position as retirement from education. She hopes to return to the classroom at the collegiate level, bringing the lessons and experiences of her career to future teachers and educational leaders. Her doctorate from Centenary has helped prepare her for that possibility.
“Retirement does not necessarily mean the end of a career,”
Grigoletti said.
“For me, I hope it will simply mean the beginning of a different chapter in education.”
She encourages students to work hard, ask questions, build relationships, and embrace experiences that push them outside of their comfort zones:
“Your degree may get you through the door, but your work ethic, character, sense of humor, and how you treat people will determine how many doors open after that.”
For today’s Centenary students, Grigoletti offers advice shaped by a career that did not necessarily follow the path she originally envisioned.
“Sometimes the best opportunities in life are the ones you never planned for,”
Grigoletti said.
As for students who may feel pressure to have their entire futures figured out, she offers one final perspective:
“Your career probably won’t be a straight line, and that’s a good thing. I never planned on becoming a superintendent, and somehow they gave me the keys to an entire school district. Life has a funny way of figuring itself out.”