Manasa Mahesh ‘27
This fall, St. Mark's has welcomed two new Penn Fellows to the Community. Olivia Szachta and Lachen Reid join us through the Penn Fellowship Program, a two-year program that is offered by the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education. The program allows aspiring teachers to earn a master’s degree in education while working as a fellow at a partner school.
Ms. Szachta is joining us from Duxbury, Massachusetts, in the Math Department, and Mr. Reid is joining us from Minneapolis, Minnesota, in the Religion Department. Ms. Szachta is currently teaching Algebra II, and Mr. Reid is teaching two religion courses: JCI and Ethics & Mortality. Fun Fact: Ms. Szachta has a twin sister, and Mr. Reid has two dogs!
When asked what led them to work at St. Marks, Ms. Szachta explained how she decided she wanted to be a part of the St. Marks community first, which led her to decide to join the community as a Penn Fellow! Mr. Reid sought the opportunity to complete a master's degree while teaching in the religion department, which led him to become a Penn Fellow.
Ms. Szachta said her experience has been very good so far, and she is enjoying taking part in all the different community aspects of St. Mark's. Coaching on JV Volleyball and being on duty in Thayer have been great experiences to connect with students more. She said that she went to public school, so being able to connect with students on a deeper level has been a highlight!
They both enjoy FLIK Dining, as it reminds them of their college dining halls, and having many options is great. Mr. Reid especially enjoys all the options at lunch, like the stir-fry section and the panini machine.
Both of them have experiences they want to bring to the St. Mark's community. Ms. Szachta talked about her experience on the crew team in college, and she is excited to bring that experience to the Girls Crew team this spring. She also has a background in psychology and wants to share her knowledge on the topic to St. Mark's students. Mr. Reid wants to work with students on their writing, as he worked at a writing center in college. His goal is to help students learn to love writing and not view it as a chore.
Looking forward to the rest of their time at St. Mark's, Ms. Szachta is excited to explore other math than Algebra 2 and teach different classes. She is also excited about the coaching crew in the spring. Mr. Reid is excited for Groton Day games, as he coaches the Thirds Boys' Soccer team.
Both offered advice: Ms. Szachta said she would tell St. Markers that learning is more important than the answer and to focus more on the process, not just the outcome. Mr. Reid said that students should take advantage of the small community and spend as much time with friends as possible.
Make sure to welcome the Penn Fellows!
