The National Merit Scholarship Program recently announced the names of Class of 2026 students across the country who earned recognition for their academic achievement. This year, 21 Roxbury Latin boys were named—five as National Merit Scholar semifinalists and sixteen others earning commendations from program officials, equating to roughly 36% of the class.

Juniors from across the United States entered the 2025 National Merit Scholarship program by taking the 2023 PSAT. The nationwide pool of semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state, while commended students placed among the top 50,000 students who entered. Scholarship recipients are selected on the basis of their skills, accomplishments, and potential for academic success at the college level.

It is estimated annually that from the approximately 16,000 semifinalists, about 15,000 will advance to become finalists, making them eligible for 6,870 National Merit Scholarships nationwide. The organization, along with several hundred independent businesses and companies, support the awards totaling over $33 million. 

Roxbury Latin boys earning recognition this year include semifinalists Habo Baaj, Colin Bradley, Denmark Chirunga, Dylan Pan, and Tom Pogorelec; and commendation recipients Luca Bene, Luke Campanella, Michael DiLallo, Nick Glaeser, Lincoln Hyatt, Max Kesselheim, Avish Kumar, Grayson Lee, Simba Makura, Dylan Massard, Braden Place, Fin Reichard, Austin Reid, Teddy Smith, Marco Suri, and Liam Walsh.

“I think the most important thing Roxbury Latin gave to me was the permission and the foundation to become a different person,” said Nate Klug ’04 during his Hall presentation in the Smith Theater on September 9. Nate is a poet, translator, essayist, and co-minister of The First Parish in Lincoln, Massachusetts, along with his wife, Kit. Nate’s various roles and interests have stemmed from many different life experiences, and the grace he gave himself to explore things that piqued his interest. 

“I went to college to play Division III soccer, and I realized after a few months that I absolutely hated being on that team—I hated having that be my main identity,” he explained. “All of a sudden, for the first time, I was no longer at the center of a community, and changing how I spent my time and who I spent it with was hard, but I was ready. Because of the breadth of my exposures here, I was ready to be translated.”

As he described, the foundation that Roxbury Latin provided allowed Nate to explore his interests and be open to continuous learning. He published work in every Forum issue during his time at RL, but he didn’t take the time to begin digging into poetry and its varying forms until college. “All of my roles came to me as callings in one way or another,” he said. Had he not valued and lived out the generalist model instilled in him at RL, he might not have listened to those callings and realized some of the passions of his adult life.

Many of Nate’s roles are interconnected, as art and spirituality often influence one another. As a minister, he works in a “spiritually eclectic place,” he says. It is one where individuals make up a community, rather than the community being the leading identity. Nate’s experiences of writing and translating poetry also emphasize the fluidity and openness in interpreting art. “If we want to live in a world that preserves nuance and complexity, we will look at different versions of the same text like we did this morning. We will dare to argue it out ourselves.” He noted that the members of his parish find community because they are all seeking something: “Poetry and translation rely on uncertainty and discovery,” Nate said, much like the spiritual journeys we often find ourselves on.

Nate earned his bachelor’s degree in English Literature from the University of Chicago, and is a graduate of Yale Divinity School; he was ordained in the United Church of Christ in 2013. He is the author of Rude Woods, a modern translation of Virgil’s Eclogues, and two books of poetry, titled Anyone, and Hosts and Guests. His poems and essays have appeared in The Nation, The New York Review of Books, Best American Poetry, and elsewhere. His writing has been supported by fellowships from the James Merrill House, MacDowell, and the Poetry Foundation.

View Nate’s Hall presentation.

On the morning of September 5, Roxbury Latin’s newest cohort of 46 sixies, nine Class I leaders, and several faculty and staff members departed campus for Hollis, New Hampshire, for the annual Class VI trip to Beaver Brook. 

After disembarking the bus and gathering their equipment, the boys faced their first challenge: true or false trivia about their beloved school. Using whatever they could find as a desk, including but not limited to the backs of their classmates, the boys approached each question with careful thought and a hint of friendly competition, not entirely dissimilar to when in class. The boys were also encouraged to ask for help from the adults present, but warned that the adults were encouraged to provide the boys with false answers—the only time this would happen during the boys’ time at Roxbury Latin!

Throughout the day, the boys engaged in many longstanding RL activities, such as Flip Flop, orienteering explorations, field games, and ropes course challenges, supported by Class VI Dean Sarah Demers and other RL faculty. As day turned to night, the boys shared laughs and spirited conversation over dinner and then settled for a viewing of the 1975 film Twelve Angry Men, promptly followed by a discussion and reflection. The dynamic conversation continued to the roaring campfire outside as everyone gathered for s’mores and the task of learning The Founder’s Song. (With this new institutional knowledge, Class VI boys can confidently join in singing at the next Hall!) As it approached time to unfurl the sleeping bags and retreat to tents, students and faculty were ready for a restful, albeit short, night’s sleep. 

After an eventful 24 hours, the bus full of students left the New Hampshire woods for the wooded campus nestled in West Roxbury. The delight, camaraderie, and touch of exhaustion from lack of sleep were felt throughout the bus on the ride home. While the boys have now closed the chapter on one RL tradition, they are met with a forged story of brotherhood.View a complete gallery of images from this year’s Beaver Brook adventures.

“As we start this new school year, as we contemplate all the great things in store for us, I want to encourage all of us to quiet the noise,” began Head of School Dr. Sam Schaffer on Monday, August 25, during the traditional Opening of Fall Term Hall, commencing Roxbury Latin’s 381st year. “I hope that as we arrive back on campus, and as we take on this new school year, that we can use our time together at Roxbury Latin as a way to quiet the noise, focus on what is truly important, and have a great year.”

Together in Rousmaniere Hall, along with new and returning faculty and staff, were 308 boys, 63 new to the RL community—all ready to kick off the year together.

In opening, Dr. Schaffer went on to recognize the boys in Classes I and VI, those oldest and youngest in the school, as they stood to applause and recognition from the community. He also highlighted the 18, or nearly 40%, of faculty members who have taught for fifteen years or more at RL. English and Classics faculty member, Mo Randall, impressively begins his 50th year teaching at the school, tying him for the longest serving faculty member at the school alongside William Cole Collar, whose 1895 “Address at the School’s 250th Anniversary Exercises” was read at the beginning of Hall by Class I President Danny Tobin. Dr. Schaffer also offered gratitude for the work of various individuals over the summer, who carefully maintained and prepared the school for the arrival of a new academic year.

Dr. Schaffer began his opening address with an anecdote about when he was a tight end on his Georgia high school’s football team. He reflected on a moment in his high school career when he had a chance to be the hero of the game, scoring a touchdown to break a tied game and secure his team’s victory. As he was inching closer toward the end zone, he reflected on all of the things running through his head, the reaction of the crowd, the recognition the following day, and what college scouts would think, when a tackle blindsided him. “All the distractions, all the things competing for my focus—rather than listening to it, I would have been better served by quieting that noise,” he explained.

In a world full of noise, external and interpersonal pressures, and uncertainty, Roxbury Latin serves as a refuge from these things, from the noise, he asserted. “Roxbury Latin allows us to focus on what is important,” Dr. Schaffer stated: character, honesty in all dealings, the life of the mind, service to others, a sound mind in a sound body, and several more essential ideals that foster a community of generalists and academically gifted, good-natured boys. “I want to encourage you to quiet the noise so that you can nourish your mind and your body and your spirit. I want to encourage you to quiet the noise, so that you can amplify what is within.”

Students, faculty, and staff then gathered along the newly-refurbished outdoor walkways and around the Senior Grass, relishing the cooling air of late-August, to welcome new members to the community and wish one another a wonderful school year.

Read Dr. Schaffer’s opening Hall talk in its entirety.

Watch the morning’s Opening of School Hall.

View a gallery of photos from Opening Day.

Each fall, Roxbury Latin welcomes a new cohort of faculty, staff, and students to campus. This year, three full-time faculty members join RL’s roster of educators, coaches, advisors, and community members.

Mysha Kuhlmann will be RL’s first Director of Counseling. Ms. Kuhlmann is a remarkable educator who comes to us with a deep well of experience and understanding in the field of school counseling. She has spent the past four years as Director of Counseling and School Psychologist at Thayer Academy; before that, she served for four years as the school psychologist in Andover Public High Schools; and prior to that she spent four years as the school psychologist and counselor at Rockport Middle Schools. In those roles she has counseled students, developed programming for students and faculty and parents, supervised counselors, created academic support plans, advised students, and mentored a variety of groups. Most fittingly, Ms. Kuhlmann has always been in schools, beginning her career as a middle school English teacher, science teacher, and learning specialist at KIPP charter schools in Houston, Texas, and Lynn, Massachusetts, as well as serving as a fifth-grade homeroom teacher in Boston Public Schools. Hailing originally from the Lone Star State, Ms. Kuhlmann holds a B.S. in applied learning and development from the University of Texas at Austin, an M.A. in special education from Loyola Marymount University, and an Ed.S. in school psychology from the University of Massachusetts, Boston. We are excited not only about the new position but also the person filling it: Ms. Kuhlmann will enhance the Roxbury Latin community.

Sophie Brett joins the long line of distinguished educators at RL to have graduated from Bowdoin College. With a B.A. in neuroscience and education and a minor in computer science, Ms. Brett brings a scholar’s approach to the classroom as well as a teacher’s. 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, Maine, school system and a tutor in the Bowdoin chemistry department. Her extracurricular involvement and leadership runs deep, as well: not only was she the head proctor in the Office of Residential Life at Bowdoin but she is a four-year letter winner for both the Bowdoin women’s varsity sailing and lacrosse teams (thus, eight letters!) and was selected as captain of the lacrosse team this past year. With her wide-ranging experiences, Ms. Brett will teach IPS and Science and Technology, and she will help coach junior varsity soccer and lacrosse.

Katie Armstrong arrives at 101 St. Theresa Ave. fresh from the reaches of western Massachusetts as 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, Ms. Armstrong 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; mentored high school students looking to play collegiate hockey; and been a counselor and director at the Belmont Hill School Summer Camp for six summers. No stranger to independent schools, Ms. Armstrong is a proud alum of Nobles (for which we will forgive her), where she was a member of the Cum Laude Society, co-captain of the varsity ice hockey and softball teams, and the recipient of the Davis Cup for sportsmanship. Ms. Armstrong will teach Class VI history and Class V English and will help coach junior soccer and thirds ice hockey.

Roxbury Latin is also the beneficiary of a remarkably talented group of faculty and staff, all of whom are willing to serve in many roles. To that end, the following familiar individuals will take on additional responsibilities at the school.

Elizabeth Carroll will take on the role of Dean of Academics, in which she will help envision, oversee, and implement the school’s academic curriculum, from course selection and scheduling to grading and communication to course offerings.

Meredith Reynolds will become the Co-Director of the College Guidance Office, a position suited to her experience and contributions to that important element of school life as a thoughtful, innovative, and caring advocate for RL boys and our school.

Sarah Demers will take on the role of Class VI Dean, extending her expert and loving care for the Sixie class as they learn how to be Roxbury Latin boys.

Chris Brown, a former Penn Fellow himself and the assistant director of the program the past few years, will take on the role of Director of our Penn Fellows Program.

Jim Ryan, with his steadfast and lifelong commitment to serving those around him, as well as his organizational talents, will take on the role of Director of Community Service.

“In my first year at Roxbury Latin, I have witnessed many wonderful things, and among those is the unparalleled generosity of this community,” Head of School Sam Schaffer wrote in an email to the RL community on July 22. His message was an expression of gratitude, thanking this past year’s donors for the more than $4,900,000 given in support of the Annual Fund in 2024-2025, setting a new fundraising record. The Annual Fund achieved 99% parent participation, 100% faculty participation, and over 50% alumni participation. The funds raised will continue to help cover the $32,240 gap between tuition and the cost of educating each boy, and will allow RL to continue to charge roughly $22,000 less per boy than other Boston-area schools. Ultimately, this support allows RL to democratically assemble the most capable, bright, aspiring group of boys, regardless of their families’ means, and to bring together and support the most talented, dedicated group of teachers to know and love those boys. “You may rest assured that we pass along this commitment to our current boys, who know that ‘from those to whom much is given, much is expected,’” Dr. Schaffer noted. “They, too, I am sure, will heed this call in the future.”

Every July since 2017, Roxbury Latin has hosted the now annual Boswords Summer Crossword Tournament—the brainchild of puzzle enthusiasts John Lieb, chair of RL’s Math Department, and alumnus and former faculty member Andrew Kingsley ’12. On July 27, in collaboration with the Boston Globe Globe Games team, Roxbury Latin will host the 2025 Boswords Summer Crossword Tournament on campus. The Boswords Summer Tournament is a one-day crossword competition in which participants solve five puzzles over the course of the afternoon and may participate either as an individual or as part of a pair. The Boswords team is expecting attendance from 200+ crossword enthusiasts for a day of fun and puzzle-solving.

Learn more about the tournament and the team—and register to be part of the fun!—at https://www.boswords.org/.