For Associate Professor of Mathematics Dr. Nathan Schrenk, the path to Germanna Community College was anything but linear.
Raised in Colorado, Dr. Schrenk always had an affinity for numbers. “Math has always been my strongest subject, and I’ve always enjoyed it the most,” he says. “I liked that when you worked a problem, you got to either a correct or incorrect answer.”
That clarity, that sense of order, drew him in, inspiring him to share that passion with others.
He started his undergraduate studies in 2000 at the University of Wyoming, where, in addition to studying math education, he served as the school mascot. After graduating, he stepped straight into the classroom and onto the football field, coaching and teaching at West Grand High School in Kremmling, Colorado.
“That first job was a great opportunity,” Dr. Schrenk recalls. “I got to teach and coach, and it set the stage for everything that came after.”
But he didn’t stop there. Dr. Schrenk went on to earn a master’s degree in math education from Florida State University—all while working full-time.
From Florida to Virginia to Texas and back again, Dr. Schrenk followed his love of teaching across the country. At each stop—Hargrave Military Academy, Ferrum College, Hampton University, Christopher Newport University, and more—he sharpened his skills in the classroom while finding new ways to connect with students.
In 2009, while teaching full-time at a high school in Fort Worth, Texas, Dr. Schrenk started teaching evening courses at a nearby college.
“That’s when I discovered the real impact of community colleges,” he says. “It wasn’t just about teaching math—it was about helping students who maybe didn’t believe they could be successful in it. I fell in love with teaching developmental math.”
Dr. Schrenk has taught students at every level—from pre-honors high schoolers to advanced college calculus students—but says it’s the lower-level math courses that truly energize him.
Over the years, Dr. Schrenk has juggled a full teaching load while completing an MAT in mathematics from Texas Christian University and, most recently, an EdD in curriculum and instruction from Liberty University—a personal milestone.
“I wanted to be the first Schrenk to get a doctoral degree,” he says. “It took a few tries to find the right program for me, but the flexibility of Liberty’s Doctor of Education program made it possible.”
Through it all, he has never lost sight of what matters most: connection.
Today, Dr. Schrenk is firmly planted at Germanna, where he is in his sixth year as a full-time faculty member. “Here, more than anywhere else, I’ve found a real sense of community,” he says.
Outside the classroom, he is a proud husband and father of three energetic boys. “My first son was born just after I started at Germanna,” he says. “Family is everything. I love coming home to them—and my wife is absolutely amazing.”
Despite his expansive academic résumé, Dr. Schrenk’s proudest moments come when a student reflects on their time in his class and says their perspective on math has changed. “That’s the most rewarding part for me,” he says. “Not just that they passed—but that they felt supported, and maybe even started to like math.”
At Germanna, Dr. Schrenk isn’t just teaching equations. He is creating opportunities, building confidence, and proving that math—and education—can truly change lives.