Troy High Teacher Selected for Prestigious Fellowship

Ryan Werenka, Social Studies teacher at Troy High School, has been selected for the 2025 James Madison Fellowship, an award presented annually by the James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation. The mission of the Foundation is to improve the teaching of the U.S. Constitution in secondary schools throughout the nation. Only teachers, college seniors, and graduates who wish to teach American history, American government, or civics are eligible to receive a fellowship.

Each year, the Foundation selects one secondary teacher of the Constitution from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the nation’s island and trust territories for the fellowship. Named in honor of the fourth president of the United States and acknowledged as “the Father of the Constitution and Bill of Rights,” the James Madison Fellowship will fund up to $24,000 of Mr. Werenka’s master’s degree in American history from Gettysburg College.

In addition, during the summer of 2026, Mr. Werenka will take part in a rigorous Summer Institute through Georgetown University entitled Foundations of American Constitutionalism. The course includes lectures and discussions on the Constitution taught by well-known and respected scholars, as well as meetings with U.S. government officials and field trips to important historical sites.

“I'm very honored to have been selected for such a prestigious fellowship.” Mr. Werenka shared. “Being a James Madison Fellow will open up so many opportunities to connect with scholars and excellent teachers from around the country and I'll be able to bring the knowledge and ideas that I acquire back to Troy to share with our students and my colleagues.”

Named in honor of the fourth president of the United States and “the Father of the Constitution and Bill of Rights,” the James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation was established by an Act of Congress in 1986 and is an independent agency of the Executive Branch of the federal government. For more information about the Foundation, visit www.jamesmadison.gov.