Four inspiring teachers recognized with the Excellence in Education Award by Fundația Umanitară ASSIST

Do you still remember your favorite teacher from school? Or the one you didn't like at first, but later realized built your character? The one whose guidance nudged you toward a career, a passion, or a way of thinking that stayed with you long after school ended?

At Fundația Umanitară ASSIST, we notice teachers' inputs in making big outcomes for students and the community as a whole. The Excellence in Education Award that we launched back in 2022 brings into the spotlight those professors whose influence goes far beyond the basic curriculum. Presented during cultural events like Autumn Symphonies or Christmas Charity Concerts, the award acknowledges teaching as a cornerstone of community growth and development.

Why teachers matter

Teachers influence knowledge. Even more importantly, they build mindset, resilience, and ambition. Their guidance can change the trajectory of a student's life, and through them, the trajectory of an entire community. Many professionals and leaders trace their first bits of curiosity or ambition back to a teacher who believed in them.

The Excellence in Education Award makes these contributions visible. It is a public acknowledgment that the professor's hard work is central to society's progress, and that their choices ripple far outside the school.

Meet the laureates

• 2025: Professor Dan Popescu

Professor Dan Popescu, principal and mathematics teacher at "Ștefan cel Mare" National College in Suceava, has spent over 40 years teaching students and building a school culture of excellence. Since becoming principal in 2001, he has led the school to top national rankings, facilitated programs for talented students through the Suceava County Center of Excellence, and created an environment where trust, collaboration, and ambition matter. His impact is seen in exam results, Olympiad medals, and the confidence and curiosity he boosts.

• 2024: Professor Daniela Lungoci

Professor Daniela Lungoci brings a distinctive approach to robotics, mixing logic with creativity at Ipotești Secondary School. She encourages students to explore multiple ways of solving problems, to question assumptions, and to embrace curiosity as a learning tool. Her classrooms are sources of critical thinking and independent thought, besides technical skills. She encourages a mindset that extends far beyond the general knowledge by inspiring students to engage more with the interdisciplinary fields and think outside the box.

• 2023: Professor Dr. Petru Crăciun

Professor Petru Crăciun exemplifies how teaching can bridge local talent and global opportunity. As Deputy General School Inspector in Suceava and director of the Cygnus Scientific Society, he guides students toward international competitions in astronomy and astrophysics. In 2023, he received the Excellence in Education Award remotely while attending the International Olympiad in Greece with his students. His teaching demonstrates that education is a local and global responsibility by connecting local talents to the multinational scientific community. Moreover, this year, an asteroid was named after him, a rare honor showing the respect he has earned worldwide.

• 2022: Professor Costică Costan

Professor Costică Costan has dedicated nearly five decades to teaching physics at "Ștefan cel Mare" National College in Suceava. He has guided hundreds of students through national and international Olympiads, helping them discover the beauty and logic of physics. Yet his greatest impact is in the perspective he instills and the curiosity students carry long after school. He continued teaching until this summer, with the same dedication and passion from the very beginning. His motto, "Without physics, there is nothing," has become a tagline for generations of learners.