This year, the Social Studies department is losing one of its most-loved teachers, Mr. Penn, who is stepping into the position of Athletic Director.

As a teacher, Mr. Penn was elected “teacher of the year” twice by the senior class. He coached football, basketball and baseball, sponsored the Alpha Achievers, and helped to plan and produce the Black History Month assembly.

Mr. Penn taught his classes with energy and enthusiasm. He valued personal relationships with his students. Students say he was knowledgeable and relatable.

“He will be missed,” said Ms. Collier, who co-taught American Government with Mr. Penn last year.

Ms. Collier described him as energetic, relatable, and passionate. “He’s a perfect fit for [Athletic Director]” she said. “He has a lot of background in the sports area and has already developed relationships with the coaches and student-athletes.”

In his previous teaching role, Mr. Penn always supported his students and held them to high standards. He has the same expectations for the student-athletes in his new position. “I always like to say that the students are the ambassadors for their sports teams,” he said.

He hopes to emphasize equality between all of Wilde Lake athletic teams. He took this concept from his classroom last year.

With his passion for sports and his experienced athletic background, Mr. Penn hopes to reach the hearts of all his student-athletes this year, just as he did with his previous students.