Salem Teacher Lori Marenda-Lang Named To MA Heroine Class of 2026

SALEM, MA — A Salem High School educator has been recognized by the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women as part of its Commonwealth Heroines Class of 2026.

Lori Marenda-Lang, a history educator at Salem High School since 2006, was honored last week at a ceremony at the Massachusetts Statehouse after being nominated by State Rep. Manny Cruz (D-Salem).

The commission partners with state legislators each year to identify women who make outstanding contributions to their organizations and communities. Elected officials nominate one woman from their constituency for recognition of extraordinary acts of service.

In addition to teaching at Salem High School, Marenda-Lang serves as a board member of Mental Makeover, a nonprofit focused on fighting stigma surrounding mental health. She is also a member of the Salem High School Building Committee and an active volunteer with the League of Women Voters.

"She cares deeply for her students and has had an immeasurable impact on the students she has taught. Salem High School is lucky to have educators like her, and her advocacy, paired with her deep love for Salem, makes our city, and as a result, our Commonwealth, better as a whole," Cruz wrote in his nomination form.

"I was deeply moved and completely surprised when Manny called to share that he had nominated me for this award," said Marenda-Lang. "During the ceremony, one of the quotes that resonated with me was: 'The Commonwealth Heroines Class of 2026 may not always make the news, but they always make a difference.'

"Salem has truly become my home. I love contributing to this community and striving to make a meaningful impact. Spending the last 20 years as a high school history educator here has been the absolute greatest privilege of my life. My students, both past and present, remain the ultimate inspiration behind everything I do."

The honor is the latest recognition for Marenda-Lang in recent months. In May, she was named among the 2026 City of Salem Local Heroes for Women’s History Month.

In September, she received a curriculum-writing fellowship through Harvard’s Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies and the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Research in Southeast Europe at the University of Rijeka, Croatia.

Marenda-Lang was one of two Salem residents named to the Class of 2026, joining Anne Boris, a volunteer with Northeast Arc. The class included 20 recipients from Essex County.