St. Luke's Teaching Fellow Awarded Gates Scholarship

St. Luke’s congratulates teaching fellow Marina Perkins who was awarded a Gates Scholarship to attend the University of Cambridge next year. According to its website, the Gates Scholarship is “for intellectually outstanding postgraduate students with a capacity for leadership and a commitment to improving the lives of others."

While at Cambridge, Perkins plans to write a Ph.D. dissertation on Michel de Montaigne, the 16th-century French pioneer of the personal essay. Perkins is one of only 95 scholars from around the world to receive the award this year.

The St. Luke’s Fellows Program was founded nearly ten years ago to identify and attract early career teachers. Each year, one to three recent college graduates are brought on for a one- or two-year paid fellowship. Among the 13 fellows hired, five have moved into staff teaching positions: Susan Garnett ‘06, Rodrigo Luger, Emma Creeden, Ryan Lundquist, and, starting this fall, Tom Owens.

Like Perkins, others have returned to higher education including Rodrigo Luger working on his Ph.D. in astrophysics at the University of Washington, Galen Sanderson studying medicine at the Uniformed Services University, and Ryan Lundquist pursuing a law degree at Washington University in St. Louis.

“The Fellows Program brings us excited, new teachers who can connect with our students with energy, fresh eyes, and a willingness to learn and be mentored,” says Jim Foley, Assistant Head of Upper School for Leadership & Innovation, who oversees the hiring process.

Perkins joined St. Luke’s last year as a Fellow in the Upper School History Department, after studying at Cambridge and Brown University. “Over the course of my two-year fellowship,” says Perkins, “I’ve become immersed in the life of the school, and I’m deeply grateful for the opportunities the program has afforded me.”

The Gates Cambridge Scholarship was established in 2000 by Bill and Melinda Gates to “build a global network of future leaders committed to improving the lives of others.”

photo: St. Luke's Teaching Fellow Marina Perkins teaching a history class.

St. Luke's is a secular private school in New Canaan, CT for grades 5-12. St. Luke's mission is an exceptional education that inspires a deep love of learning, a strong moral compass, the commitment to serve, and the confidence to lead. St. Luke's Center for Leadership advances our mission by helping students develop exceptional leadership ability. A kind, inclusive community awaits you at St. Luke's.Come visit St. Luke's!