The Puzzle: Blog

Devin Clyburn: Math Teacher, Virginia Episcopal School (VA)

This spring, Devin will be graduating from Bates College with a B.A. in mathematics where he also played collegiate football. When at home, Devin worked at Manhattan North Camp with at-risk youth where he taught mathematics and developed his passion to work with students. This winter Devin accepted a job at Virginia Episcopal school in Lynchburg, Virginia. There he will be a full-time math teacher and also serve as an assistant coach for basketball and football and a dorm parent. A graduate of The Loomis Chaffee School, where he played basketball and football, Devin has a history with boarding schools which he is hopeful will allow for a smooth transition post-college. At Virginia Episcopal School, Devin hopes to be an impactful figure on campus and mold his students in and out of the classroom while his classes are enjoyable and informative. Devin hopes that TABS will help him accomplish his goals at his new school and develop him into a great math instructor.

Albert Rubin: Math Fellow, Loomis Chaffee School (CT)

Albert has recently completed his undergraduate work at Baruch College with a major in statistics and quantitative modeling, with a minor in mathematics. He has taught in a variety of roles which include: math tutor, water safety instructor, and teacher’s assistant at the Berkeley Carroll School's (NY) Upper school. Beginning this fall, he is excited to start his teaching career as a math Teaching Fellow at the Loomis Chaffee School. His motivation behind joining boarding life is to help people succeed in the classroom, on the soccer field, and in the swimming pool. He aims to do this while maintaining close and meaningful connections with his future students and colleagues.

John Lim: History Penn Fellow, Deerfield Academy (MA)

Hailing from Virginia Beach, John is a graduate of Phillips Academy (MA) and Harvard College. He graduated cum laude with highest honors from Harvard in history and literature in 2020, where his senior thesis on representations of New York City tenement housing was nominated for a Hoopes Prize, which recognizes excellent undergraduate work. He is now completing a master’s degree in American history at Cambridge University, where he is writing his dissertation on the history of electricity and government regulation in New York City. At Harvard, he was a literature editor and vice president for the Harvard Lampoon, where he worked to improve accessibility and inclusivity in the organization. He is a passionate classical musician as a former violinist/violist in the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra and the Brattle Street Chamber Players. He was also a co-writer of a musical called The East Side that premiered at Harvard in the spring of 2019, exploring the Asian-American experience through themes of gentrification, food, and authenticity. He is looking forward to joining the passionate and welcoming history department at Deerfield as a Penn Fellow.

Ella Houlihan: Science Teacher/Fellow, Phillips Academy Andover (MA)

Ella is a recent graduate of Middlebury College who grew up in Massachusetts. In fall of 2021, they will return to Mass where they will be a teaching fellow at Phillips Andover. Ella is thrilled to be teaching biology at Andover because the department has made concrete steps to change the curriculum to center an anti-racist pedagogy. Ella is passionate about critical race and dis/ability theory, and believes that we must work intentionally to remove white supremacist and settler colonial mindsets from our schools. At Middlebury College, Ella studied neuroscience and architecture, and learned how all things are connected in beautiful ways. They also taught sexual health education and worked as a first responder at the local ski mountain. Ella is an active and enthusiastic person, and is really looking forward to meeting people at TABS this summer!

Ebehiremhen (Ebehi) Izokum: Psychology Teacher, Canterbury School (CT)

Ebehi has recently completed her undergraduate degree at Duke University with a B.A in psychology and minors in both education and political science. She developed a passion for teaching after years of tutoring and completing a fellowship as a Psychology 101 teaching assistant at Duke. Starting this fall, she is extremely ecstatic to start her work as an AP Psychology teacher at Canterbury school in New Milford, Connecticut. She is looking forward to all aspects of teaching, but what she is most excited about is developing positive relationships with students outside the classroom, through her other responsibilities as a boarding school teacher.

Hiroshi Kawakatsu: Physics Fellow, Culver Academies (IN)

Hiroshi is currently a UPenn Graduate School of Education student working on his master’s degree. Originally from Tokyo, Japan, Hiro spent his early days moving back and forth between Tokyo and New York with his family, before graduating from Bronxville High School and attending Haverford College. As a physics major back at his alma mater, he has a strong interest in physics and is looking forward to teaching the subject next year at Culver Academies in Indiana. He has always wanted to become a teacher, so he is very grateful to have this teaching fellowship opportunity. He also ran cross country and track at Haverford, and he still runs with his friends every morning in Philly, where he currently lives. His other interests include eating at buffets, cooking for his friends, and Yankees baseball.