Before Mr. Corica arrived at Peddie, he attended Princeton University, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in chemistry. Mathematics was not a central focus of his in college. In fact, he was turned off from the subject by an uninspiring high school teacher. Mr. Corica discovered his love for math and education when he became a student teacher, when he found that he preferred spending time in the classroom to working on his chemistry thesis. He later returned to Princeton and received a Master’s Degree in Computer Science.

Immediately afterward, he taught at Hightstown High School for a year before beginning his 45year long career at Peddie in 1979.

Peddie’s unpretentious atmosphere was what attracted Mr. Corica to the school. He remembers the warm welcome offered to him by the community, and how he quickly grew comfortable in his new environment.

Over the course of his many years at the school, Mr. Corica has filled various positions and made his mark at each step. Though he arrived as a math teacher, he later became a physics and chemistry teacher. Fast forward a few years, and he became a computer science teacher. Later, he assumed the role of math department chair, before becoming the director of technology. As the director of technology, he spearheaded the effort to provide every Peddie student with a laptop. Afterwards, he became the dean of faculty. Eventually, he returned to being math department chair. He reflected that the position of math department chair is his “sweet spot” – he can interact with both the faculty and the students and still have a presence in the classroom. Mr. Corica also dabbled in advising The Peddie News and the yearbook.

Mr. Corica believes Peddie’s culture has remained much the same throughout his career. But he also remarked that the standards for students have been raised considerably. And that Peddie’s academic offerings and athletic programs have become more sophisticated.

During his retirement, Mr. Corica hopes to attend Princeton lectures about Graph Theory, bicycle and write pieces for journals. He “wants to capture in writing all the ideas kicking around in [his] head about mathematics and mathematics teaching.”Mr. Corica’s interests are not limited to STEM disciplines; he enjoys learning history, sociology and politics, and would like to begin writing poetry again. He is also looking forward to spending time with his grandchildren.

Mr. Corica anticipates that he’ll miss the active explaining that goes on in the classroom. He thinks he’ll have to find a new outlet for his urge to teach, such as tutoring or running extra-help sessions at his local library.

Mr. Corica’s devotion to the school, phenomenal teaching abilities, diverse interests and keen leadership skills make him a role model for students and faculty alike. The Peddie community owes much to Mr. Corica. We are grateful to have him for as long as we did.