By Anna Catherman ('24)
On July 4, 2024, Rene Stempert will celebrate her 30th year on the job.
“My first day on the job was a paid holiday, so that was kinda cool,” Stempert said.
Stempert started off on that day in July 1994 as a custodian in Gillette Hall. Now, she serves as the lead custodian for Sodexo, who promoted her to the role five years ago.
As lead custodian, there is no “typical” day on the job. Stempert does whatever’s at the top of her to-do list. She trains new hires and cleans guest bedrooms down at the Flats and in the President’s House. She is certified in pool maintenance. In the summer, she maintains all the hard floors on campus, scrubbing between tiles.
Although Stempert’s day-to-day work is primarily keeping campus clean and safe, Stempert views her work not as a chore but as a ministry.
Serving exclusively in Gillette for decades, Stempert made it her mission to learn the names of every girl in Gillette. Some years, she succeeded. She even knows many pets. Stempert recalls a seeing-eye dog named Brownie was the first service animal to live in Gillette with his owner, Elicia.
Now that Stempert’s work covers most of campus, she hasn’t had as close a connection to Gillette residents. But she gets to meet and train more students – up to 40 each semester, plus 3-6 new staff per year.
When students skip work or their performance goes down, Stempert has a heart-to-heart with them. Three times this year, she’s used the parable of talents as a reminder to be faithful in the small tasks. At the end of December last year, she saw a student in Paine who looked like he was depressed and struggling, so she stopped and prayed with him.
Stempert used to struggle a lot with being grumpy and short with people, and explained that she is still working at showing love and kindness.
Working at Houghton has helped Stempert’s faith grow. The first time she shared her faith journey in 2001 was a major turning point for her. She had accepted Christ a decade prior, after a childhood riddled with sexual abuse, a stint in the Air Force and marrying a man who became verbally and emotionally abusive. There were no sudden revelations for Stempert.
“I really wish my faith story had started off more intensely because I continued to make a lot of stupid choices in my life,” Stempert confessed.
But God used moments throughout the years to slowly transform Stempert. Sharing her story was a big one. One that helped her understand what testimony and ministry are.
Stempert strives to put what she’s learned into action. This year, she felt a strong call to invite people to come to her church. Thanks to her initiative, five First Year students are now attending Belfast Free Methodist. ★
This year’s banquet is a continuation of a long standing tradition in Gillette Hall. A history so long, according to Resident Director (RD) Laura Cunningham, “I’m not sure when it actually began. It has always, just, existed.” Cunningham said she even checked with René Stempert, Head of Custodial in Gillette, who has worked at Houghton for 23 years. Stempert said the banquet was already a tradition when she began working at Houghton. In regards to the location of the banquet every year, Cunningham said that it varies. “During my time here it’s been held in Mount Morris, Olean and Wellsville.” She continued, “I like that we explore different venues in the area and encourages residents to visit different communities outside of campus.”