Andrew Calkins is pursuing a master’s degree in education thanks to the Noyce Fellowship program. Photo by Angela Foster.
For Andrew Calkins, discovering a passion for teaching was a journey that began with a simple act of helping others.
After earning his undergraduate degree in mathematics from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in December 2022, Calkins initially set his sights on a career in data analytics or actuarial science. A tutoring experience with UTC’s Mosaic Program, though, revealed that teaching was the more rewarding path.
“Working with these kids, it was an academic challenge in a way in terms of having to figure out how best to explain concepts in different ways or helping them explore how they thought about different problems and what their process needed to look like—which is something I found much more engaging,” Calkins said.
That realization, combined with a timely email about the UTC Robert Noyce Track 2 Teacher Fellowship Program, led Calkins to pursue a master’s degree in education last summer.
“I saw this mass email that was like, ‘Hey, there’s this new program for STEM majors to train them up to be teachers,’” he recalled. “You know what? That sounded like something I could do.”
Offered through UTC’s School of Education and funded by the National Science Foundation, the Noyce Fellowship Program provides STEM graduates with a fully funded pathway to earn their M.Ed. in Secondary Education in just 14 months. The program covers tuition, fees and books—and offers a $10,000 salary supplement during the first four years of teaching. In return, fellows commit to teaching for four years in a high-need Hamilton County School.
Calkins currently teaches Algebra I and Algebra II at Chattanooga School for the Arts & Sciences (CSAS), where his year-long residency has given him valuable classroom experience. After earning his master’s degree from UTC in August, he is expected to join Hamilton County Schools as a full-time faculty member for the 2025-26 academic year.
Unlike traditional student-teaching programs where candidates are only in classrooms part-time, Calkins has been at CSAS fulltime thanks to the Noyce program, which he believes has enhanced his teaching experience.
“As a result, I have been in this school doing this teaching role basically the entire school year,” he said, “so I’ve gotten to see the kids every day and get the full experience from it.”
Calkins acknowledged the difficulty of shifting away from his original career path to pursue teaching.
“The main obstacle that was preventing me from changing gears was I wasn’t sure about going back to school, having that financial obligation, figuring out all of this,” he said.
Andrew Calkins works with math students at Chattanooga School for the Arts & Sciences.
The benefits of the Noyce Fellowship—both financial and professional—made the decision easier.
UC Foundation Professor Deborah McAllister, who leads the Noyce program, highlighted its critical role in combating the nationwide shortage of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) teachers.
“This is important because we need more math and science teachers locally as well as across the country,” McAllister said. “We’ve always hearing, ‘We need more teachers,’ especially in math. Science also, but there’s an incredible need for math teachers.”
The Noyce Fellowship Program, she explained, is designed for both recent graduates and career changers—offering a fast-track route to becoming a certified teacher. Participants must have a strong foundation in their STEM discipline, as the program builds on their existing knowledge while preparing them to teach grades 6-12.
The program also emphasizes leadership development, encouraging participants to take on roles such as curriculum development, professional development facilitation and mentoring pre-service teachers. Fellows are expected to become leaders within their schools, contributing to both student success and the broader educational community.
For Calkins, the shift to teaching has been about more than career satisfaction—it’s about making a difference.
“In math, what I really enjoy is that it’s a system of interlocking rules. You can approach any problem from multiple perspectives, but the underlying principles remain consistent. That allows them to be applied creatively or used to view problems in different ways,” he said. “With teaching, I’m able to explore those methods with students.
“If they’re having difficulty seeing how something works or why, then I can show them that there are other ways to view it. These principles of mathematics are constant and keep appearing and showing up again and again and again—just in different formats. It’s a bit interesting, that light bulb moment that students have … where they look at a new approach and go like, ‘Oh, that makes so much more sense.’”
Looking ahead, the Memphis native said he is excited about the opportunity to remain in the Chattanooga area teaching for Hamilton County Schools.
“My plan basically is to graduate, stay in the local area gaining experience, actually teaching for about four to five years—and from there consider my options,” Calkins said. “I’m coming out of this program with a master’s degree, which is helpful.”
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