Sharing stories and building relationships

Tennille Fenstermaker

Trine University - Jannen School of Arts & Sciences
B.A., Trine University; M.A., Arizona State University
260.665.4328  |  email

My passion for teaching began back in elementary school when I would play school with my younger sister and cousins (where, yes, I was always the teacher). As a Trine University grad from the early 2000s, I find excitement and pleasure in teaching in the very same building, Taylor Hall, where I took the majority of my own classes.

After teaching at the high school level for many years (and also at the college level in a part-time realm), I was encouraged to go back to school and get my master’s degree. I decided to obtain that higher ed degree in English because I believe every person has a story to share – and every student’s story is unique. Even if I have the same writing prompt, I never read the same story twice. Through taking a composition or communication course, my goal is to help students share that distinct story.

As far as my personal life goes, I live in another state, but not far away, outside of Camden, Michigan, on a small family farm raising chickens, ducks and rabbits with our two labs, Mollie and Maggie. I have an amazing husband, Josh, where, in the summer months, we work alongside each other running our lawncare/landscape business. We also have three school-aged children, Elsi, Drake and Brit, who keep us busy with extracurriculars. During the summer months, we enjoy vacationing to Michigan’s UP as well as all things outdoors, including hunting, fishing and hiking.

I am a firm believer in building lifelong relationships with people as humans are worth the investment. Throughout my many years in education, I believe students learn from me, I learn from students, students learn from one another, and most importantly, students learn more about themselves. I strive to make each day full of adventure and happiness.