Camenga Makes the Difficult Decision to Leave Houghton.
Though Kristin Camenga was not a Houghton student, she has always felt connected to the school. Her mother, a high school teacher, visited campus for a conference while pregnant with Camenga, marking the future professor’s first visit to the college. After nine years as a professor in the department of Mathematics, and five years as chair of the department of mathematics and computer science, Camenga will leave her positions at Houghton at the end of this spring semester.
Camenga did not begin her career intending to teach at the post-secondary level. She wanted to follow in her mother’s footsteps, and trained to teach high school math at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. Following her graduation, Camenga taught at the secondary level for two years, during which time she dated her now husband, Andrew Camenga, a ’92 Houghton graduate. Shortly before they were married in 2000, Camenga’s then-fiancé, an ordained Seventh Day Baptist pastor, took a job directing the denomination’s Board of Christian Education in Alfred, NY. Camenga used their cross-country move as an opportunity to continue her education. She was accepted at Cornell University, and graduated in 2006 with both her Ph.D. in Mathematics and M.S. in Education. She then applied for teaching positions in the Alfred area; one of these was at Houghton.
“It was exactly what I wanted,” said Camenga about the Houghton job posting. “It was a math job, and it meant working with people who wanted to be math teachers. That’s what I wanted to do, because I was a math teacher. I’d seen how important it was.”
In 2006, Camenga began her Houghton career as an Assistant Professor of Mathematics, and has taught several math courses, as well as the Math Methods course for the Education department. In 2010, she was appointed Chair of the Mathematics and Computer Science department. Colleagues consider her to be a diligent Chair, noting that Camenga is always on top of her work, ensuring that the department’s projects are always on time. More recently, she has acted as the Faculty Development Coordinator, organizing and leading such events as the new faculty seminar and faculty retreat.
Among students, Camenga is known for her thorough and individualized instruction. Camenga’s courses help them feel prepared for whatever is next, whether it’s student teaching or heading into the workforce. “All of the work feels really purposeful,” said senior, Emily Bradley.
Camenga creates a strong connection with her students. According to senior, Amanda Gokey, the way that Camenga cares for each student in her class makes her an exceptional professor. When students have difficulty with their work, Camenga is available and eager to help them. This relationship is a major part of what Camenga says she will miss about Houghton.
“It’s really hard to leave my students who aren’t graduating yet,” said Camenga. “I’ve known a lot of them since before they walked on campus officially as freshmen. They’re my friends, and I’m going to miss that. I’ll also miss my colleagues. I have trouble imagining a place where I’ll have colleagues that work this well together.”
Camenga’s decision to leave has been almost two years in the making. The couple felt it was time for Andrew to move on from his one-person office in pursuit of a pastorate, leading him to resign. Last fall, he accepted a position in Salemville, PA, but the congregation understood that his wife would want to finish out the year at Houghton first. Camenga was able to officially resign in mid-September, and helped to find her replacement.
“Some people would feel that, even if you know you’re leaving, you don’t actually resign,” said Camenga. “I wanted to know that the things I’ve worked on for the last nine years are going to continue.”
While Camenga is sorry to leave the community she has built at Houghton, she trusts that this is the right decision.
“You’ve got to go where God leads you,” she said. “You trust Him to take care of the pieces where they fall.”
Camenga’s lifetime connection to Houghton, her dedication to teaching and preparing students to teach, and her ability to discern God’s leading in times of change are enduring gifts to this community.