Longtime resident Gladys Martinez was presented with a certificate of award at the commission meeting on Wednesday, May 21 naming her as North Bergen Outstanding Senior Citizen of the Year for 2025.

 

Gladys was recognized for her distinguished achievements as both a school teacher and a pillar of her community. Born in Cuba, she emigrated to the U.S. and raised her children here in Hudson County, working hard to support her family and to bring over her relatives from Cuba.

 

Studying part-time while working, she attained a master’s in education, becoming a teacher at North Bergen High School from 1994 to 2006. At the same time, she served as a volunteer notary public for her neighborhood and worked with church groups and other organizations to benefit the youth in her community.

 

Gladys and her husband Armando still live in the same North Bergen home they bought in 1984.

 

The certificate of award was presented to Gladys by Commissioners Hugo Cabrera, Claudia Rodriguez, and Anthony Vainieri.