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IPLE Dominance: East Brunswick Secures State Title and Sets Sights on D.C.

BY AASMI BORA

FEBRUARY 25, 2026, 8:01 A.M.

East Brunswick High School’s AP IPLE class has done it again. The team placed first at the New Jersey We the People state competition, earning the chance to represent the state at nationals in Washington, D.C. this April. This win continues a long tradition of success for the program and demonstrates the hard work students and teachers put in throughout the year.

According to Mr. Mondry, head teacher of the AP IPLE program, this year’s class stood out compared to past championship teams. 

“This was the 38th time they’ve held the state competition, and it will be the 35th time that we have won,” he said. “It’ll also be the 37th time we’re representing New Jersey at nationals.”

He explained that his students had spent the last three months researching major constitutional topics such as Federalism, the modern Supreme Court, and executive branch independence. Their performance at states was especially strong, with Mr. Mondry noting that the class had “the largest margin of victory that we’ve had since we started this.” He credited the students’ work ethic, the support of alumni who came back to help coach, and the addition of co-teacher Ms. Spivey, who was able to work with the class every day.

Ms. Spivey said one of the most rewarding parts of the year was seeing how much the students improved from the beginning of the course to the competition. 

“Typically I only work with students in the last weeks leading up to the competition,” she said, “so being with them from the start and watching their progress has been very rewarding.” She also explained that the team is already preparing for nationals and that this year’s questions are especially challenging. Still, she believes the class is ready. “These students have built a very solid level of foundational knowledge to build upon,” she said. “I think the questions will push all of us to learn more, but we’re ready to jump in.”

Senior Dareena Ganesh, a student in the program, said the team’s success came from months of consistent effort. 

“We had been working with our groups for the past three and a half months for countless hours each week, and that hard work really paid off at the state competition,” she said. She explained that students practiced not only their prepared speeches but also how to answer follow-up questions from judges, which required them to understand the Constitution on a deeper level. “Everyone was incredibly well prepared and able to discuss the complexities of our government using evidence from throughout American history,” she added. Ganesh also thanked Mr. Mondry and Ms. Spivey for their dedication, saying their support helped the team feel confident going into the competition.

Even though the team just won states, there is little time to relax. The national questions were released before the state competition, so after a short break, the class immediately started preparing again. Over the next two months, students will continue researching, practicing their speeches, and getting ready to answer detailed questions from panels of judges in Washington D.C.

East Brunswick’s state victory shows how strong the program continues to be. With a history of wins, dedicated teachers, supportive alumni, and hardworking students, the team is heading to nationals ready to represent New Jersey once again.