Oakmont Excellence in Education Award goes to Beth Campagna

ASHBURNHAM — The Oakmont Association has announced that the recipient of the 38th Oakmont Excellence in Education Award is Beth Campagna.

Representatives of the Oakmont Association, an alumni and faculty organization, said that as a 19-year veteran of the Oakmont faculty, Campagna’s passionate work as a Spanish teacher has earned her the respect and admiration of the students, faculty and administration.

The Oakmont Association said that Campagna has guided and challenged many students throughout her years at Oakmont and is highly revered by those students.

As School Counselor Amy Dubovick attests, “Beth is an unassuming leader in our building as she is a calm and steady force for both students and colleagues in the building. She is an excellent teacher and has unofficially led the World Languages department for the last decade. We have had several teachers in her department come and go and Beth has assisted, guided and mentored all of them, giving much of her prep or after school time to make our students’ classroom experiences the best it can be.”

At Oakmont, Campagna consistently puts student and colleague care first, a quality that has shone even brighter in recent years. She skillfully balances this profound care with the necessary task of holding both students and staff members accountable, the Oakmont Association said.

Dana Altobelli, Oakmont history teacher and Ashburnham-Westminster Teachers Association president affirms, “I have always thought that Beth is the consummate professional in how she interacts with students, families, administration and colleagues. Beth takes her job very seriously, and commands her classes with calm dignity and sense of purpose. She has high standards for her students and they meet those standards because it is clear to them that she has high standards for herself. As a union Building Representative, Beth takes that professionalism to the next level. Being a Building Representative involves lots of meetings frequently involving sensitive issues. An effective Building Representative knows all of those issues and never speaks of them. The result is that both administration and her colleagues trust her to be a sounding board for bothersome issues or a competent and reliable representative when needed. Beth is simply the personification of the Gold Standard for excellence in education and collegiality.”

A truly kind and caring individual, Campagna frequently connects with other Oakmont teachers to assess both her students’ needs and her colleagues’ well-being, the Oakmont Association said. She believes that sound instruction along with a safe and comforting environment for everyone, leads to the greatest of outcomes. She also understands that creating rapport with students outside the classroom is key to a teacher’s success. Many people have noted that one will see Mrs. Campagna at multiple extra curricular activities to support her students in their athletic, dramatic or musical endeavors.

She can also be seen at the annual Unified Basketball Pep Rally or the annual Dodgeball Tournament playing on the faculty team. Administrators said it is this dedication to her students and colleagues that makes her so endearing.

As fellow class co-advisor and history teacher Melissa Martin confirms, “Having shared the class advisor trenches with Beth for almost 12 years, I can honestly say she is a true class act. We even survived the COVID years together, which was no small feat! No matter what is thrown her way, Beth handles it with grace, never lowers the bar for her students, and always finds a way to bring a sense of humor to any situation when we need it most.”

Campagna began her teaching career in 2007 at Oakmont Regional High School teaching Spanish, where she has taught multiple Spanish courses including Advanced Placement Spanish. Since her arrival at Oakmont, Campagna has been a very active member of the faculty, serving as the World Languages Department de facto Department chair. She was the advisor for the Class of 2017 and Class of 2021, and is currently the advisor for the Class of 2027. She was the advisor for the Spanish Club, has recently helped start and advises the Bible Study Club and even had a short stint as the Girls Freshman Basketball Coach.

She currently serves on the Ashburnham Westminster Teachers Association Executive Board, serving as a building representative at Oakmont and as the board’s School Committee liaison.

Mrs. Campagna is a 2007 graduate of Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish and she earned her Master’s Degree from Worcester State College.

In detailing her attributes that led to her being given the Oakmont Excellence in Education Award, the Oakmont Association said Campagna is a successful teacher who can teach to all levels of students no matter what their ability. Throughout her tenure she has taught all levels of Spanish, from Spanish I to Advanced Placement Spanish. No matter the student, she inspires them to do their best and strive to achieve at the highest level.

As history teacher and parent of a former student R. Lincoln Stiles Jr. states “Beth is a caring and compassionate teacher. My daughter loved Beth’s classes and raves how Beth encouraged and inspired her to reach the highest levels in her Spanish classes. She speaks of how Mrs. Campagna taught her to use those speaking skills everyday in her classes, which carried over to her college courses and her study abroad in Madrid, Spain. Beth just doesn’t prepare students to succeed at Oakmont, she prepares them to succeed in the real world and in life. I am so grateful that my child has had the opportunity to experience all that Beth offers in her classes. She is truly a wonderful person and we are so lucky to have her in our Oakmont family.”

In her free time Campagna loves to run, shop and spend time with family. She currently lives in Westminster, with her husband Jon where they are raising their two daughters Vanna and Roma.

The Oakmont Association said that on behalf of the association, “and for all the students, teachers, faculty, family and friends that she has influenced, it is with the greatest pleasure to honor Beth Campagna with the 2026 Oakmont Excellence in Education Award.”