Computer science teacher Chris Henderson is retiring after four years of working at Trinity Prep. He has made a lasting impact on his students, specifically through the robotics program, which he grew from just a handful of kids to over 30 currently involved.
Henderson loves to teach because it allows him to connect with students who share his interests and pass on his knowledge. His favorite class is AP Computer Science, as it challenges students who are passionate about technology. He finds it meaningful to shape the next generation of computer scientists, especially now in an increasingly technology-powered world.
“I like being around the kids,” Henderson said. “(I enjoy) helping them learn at a time when they can use the help.”
Before Henderson started teaching, he was a software engineer for many years. He later transitioned into education, starting at Windermere Preparatory School for four years before coming to Trinity. While he found the environments similar, he believes Trinity stands out for its academic focus.
“Trinity is a little more academically focused,” Henderson said. “(They’re) organized. When they do things, they lay it out, and they have structure. A lot of schools don’t do it that way.”
In addition to teaching, Henderson is also the coach of multiple robotics teams. These teams have grown significantly in both size and skill over the past few years. When Henderson came to Trinity, the robotics department was small and still recovering from setbacks during COVID-19. With his help and the support of other robotics coaches, the teams are having some of their best seasons yet, competing in more competitions and placing high regularly.
“When I came here four years ago, we were kind of starting from scratch,” Henderson said. “We had a few returning kids, but not many, so mostly they were learning things for the first time. … We probably have 30 kids involved, so it’s come a long way in a short time.”
Henderson says that most of this growth was very organic, and the robotics department did not often need to recruit students to join the team. The kids who were interested invited their friends to come along, and eventually it became something more present at Trinity, allowing more students to join.
Despite Henderson’s retirement from his teaching position, he will still be around campus to coach the robotics teams.
“I’m going to continue as the robotics coach, so I’ll still be involved with the kids, and those are a lot of kids that I know really well,” Henderson said. “They’re really just getting to a point that they’re going to have some real success over the next few years, and I want to be here to help with that.”
While Henderson will still be coaching, he will have much more time for himself in retirement. With his kids all going to college, he plans to travel with his wife and enjoy a more relaxing lifestyle. He won’t be leaving computers and technology behind, though; Henderson plans to continue working on projects in his free time.
“I’ll miss teaching every day,” Henderson said. “But on the other hand, I’ll have a lot of time to do other things I haven’t been able to do.”
