Penn Fellows are equal parts teachers and learners, leading their own classes and fully engaged in the life of the school, while also earning a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

Penn Fellows Program at The Roxbury Latin School

Roxbury Latin is a partner in the Penn Fellows Independent School Teaching Residency (ISTR), an innovative collaboration between the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education and a consortium of the nation’s leading independent day schools.

The Penn Fellows program provides the foundation for exemplary teaching by combining classroom experience, attentive mentoring, and a broad, rich understanding of learning theory and pedagogy. Our Fellows earn a master’s degree in education while each teaching one or two classes with the close support of a faculty mentor in their academic discipline. From mentors, Fellows receive regular observation and feedback, shadowing opportunities, and collaboration in creating or modifying lessons and assessments. Fellows simultaneously receive instruction from professors at the University of Pennsylvania, and attend several on-site sessions each year, either at UPenn or at fellow consortium schools.

Fellows are fully ingrained in the life of the school; in addition to their work in the classroom, they coach interscholastic sports, serve as advisors, and support extracurricular programs.

RL/PENN Fellows can expect:

  • Supportive mentors
  • On- and off-campus professional development
  • Seminars on various topics throughout the year
  • Direct classroom experience
  • A strong formal program
  • The opportunity to share their learning and work with colleagues
  • The collegial support of Roxbury Latin’s administrators, faculty and staff

The other ISTR consortium Day Schools are: Gilman School, Greenwich Academy, Hathaway Brown, Hopkins School, John Burroughs School, Marin Academy, North Shore Country Day, Princeton Day School, Riverdale Country School, Trinity School, Thayer Academy, and Sonoma Academy.

For more information about UPenn’s ISTR program at Roxbury Latin, please contact Chris Brown, Director of the Penn Program, at 617.477.6308 or chris.brown@roxburylatin.org.

Learn more about the Independent School Teaching Residency at UPenn.

Fellows for 2025-2026 Academic Year

Ms. Katie Armstrong

Penn Fellow, History, English

Ms. Katie Armstrong

Title
Penn Fellow, History, English

Department
English

Contact Me
katie.armstrong@roxburylatin.org
617.477.0594

Degrees
BA (2025) Williams College

Employed Since
2025

Biography

Katie Armstrong joins RL as one of two new Penn Fellows for the 2025-2026 year. She is a recent alumna of Williams College, where she majored in English and psychology, was a member of the varsity women’s ice hockey team, and earned honors as a two-year NESCAC All-Academic.  For someone her age, Katie has a remarkable amount of experience working with young people, having served as a teaching fellow for three years at North Adams Greylock Elementary School; taught introductory courses as a Choate Rosemary Hall Summer Programs teaching intern; worked at CGM Sports as a mentor to high school girls looking to play collegiate hockey; and been a counselor and director at the Belmont Hill School Summer Camp for six summers. Katie will teach Class VI history and Class V English and will help coach junior soccer and third ice hockey.

Ms. Sophie Brett

Penn Fellow, Science

Ms. Sophie Brett

Title
Penn Fellow, Science

Department
Science

Contact Me
sophie.brett@roxburylatin.org
617.477.0608

Degrees
BA (2025) Bowdoin College

Employed Since
2025

Biography

Sophie Brett joins RL as one of two new Penn Fellows for the 2025-2026 school year. With a B.A. in Neuroscience and Education and a minor in Computer Science, Sophie brings a scholar’s approach to the classroom.  She has served as a research fellow at the Temple Center for High Performance Computing and a researcher at Bowdoin’s SciEPlay Project, as well as a substitute teacher in the Brunswick, ME, school system and a tutor in the Bowdoin chemistry department.  With her wide-ranging experiences, Sophie will teach IPS and Science and Technology and help coach junior varsity soccer and lacrosse.

Mr. Jon Doerer

Penn Fellow, Mathematics

Mr. Jon Doerer

Title
Penn Fellow, Mathematics

Department
Mathematics

Contact Me
jon.doerer@roxburylatin.org
617.477.0591

Degrees
BA (2021) University of Notre Dame
MSM (2022) University of Notre Dame

Employed Since
2024

Biography

Jon Doerer joined RL in 2024 as a Penn Fellow, teaching in the Mathematics Department as he works toward his M.Ed. Jon holds a B.A. and M.A. from Notre Dame, where he was kicker for the football team for five years. Prior to RL, Jon worked in the North Carolina and Boston Public School systems. Jon is a member of the Admission Committee and coaches Varsity Football and JV Basketball.

Mr. Andrew White '18

Penn Fellow, Classics

Mr. Andrew White '18

Title
Penn Fellow, Classics

Department
Classics

Contact Me
andrew.white@roxburylatin.org
617.477.6329

Degrees
BA (2023) Princeton University

Employed Since
2024

Biography

Andrew White, Class of 2018 and Penn Fellow, joined RL after serving as a long-term substitute in the English department. He teaches in the Classics Department, serves on the Admission Committee, Community and Culture Committee, and coaches Fifth Soccer. He holds a B.A. from Princeton University and is working toward his M.Ed. from the University of Pennsylvania.