This fall, the Kent community welcomed a new UPenn Fellow, Mr. David McMillan, who joined the Mathematics Department under the guidance of UPenn Mentor Mr. Tobin. 

For Mr. McMillan, the idea of becoming a math teacher was inspired back in high school, where he got the opportunity to learn from a series of great teachers. “I had a lot of great math teachers in high school that I really liked and that really helped me to find a love for math, even though I was kind of tired of it by the end of high school,” he recalls.

During college, he realized his true love of sharing that knowledge with others. “It kind of became a goal to be a teacher later in college, and math was kind of the thing I would know how to teach best,” he explains. He never lost his true passion.

This year at Kent is his first year of teaching, where he teaches sections of Algebra II. However, his favorite math concept was derivatives. He hopes one day at Kent he will teach the Calculus level courses. When talking about why he chose the UPenn Fellowship program, he mentioned, “I like the idea of getting to learn about teaching while teaching.” This is a program that values both practical and professional learning. “It gives me both practical experience and formal education,” he explains.

The decision to come to Kent was because of the community. “Kent was just so welcoming. I liked how the emphasis was on training good people,” he shares, reflecting back on his interview visit and the support he felt from the teacher and students.

Outside of the classroom, Mr. McMillan is thrilled about the upcoming winter season, where he is going to coach the Kent Diving Team with Dr. Block, as well as coaching rowing in the spring. “I swam a lot in high school and rowed through college, so being part of sports here is important to me,” he adds.

For the next two years at Kent, he sets himself goals that focus on practical growth. “Just building some skills, hopefully being able to help students, teaching and coaching, it’s all about helping others learn and improve,” he says.

The Kent community is delighted to welcome Mr. McMillan and looks forward to building connections both in the classroom and on the athletic fields. Driven by his genuine passion for teaching and coaching, he is eager to help and support the students to their best!