William Deckelbaum ’20 credits Calhoun with shaping both his worldview and his approach to education. Today, as a Fulbright educator in Madagascar, William draws directly from his Calhoun experience.

William's Junior Workshop—a proposal to improve the acoustics of the 5th-floor theater—marked his first foray into solving real-world problems beyond traditional academics. He believes the project was invaluable in preparing him for university and Fulbright. William adapted Calhoun’s Junior Workshop model into a community action project for his students, encouraging them to design and implement initiatives addressing local needs. He also integrates lessons from his 7th-grade English class—like one on the power of words in poems—into his teaching, using creative inquiry to support language learning. 

“Embedded in Calhoun is a culture where cultural understanding expands to celebration of differences, mutual respect becomes collective care, and progressive education is realized through a pursuit of self-actualization. Calhoun’s holistic and student centered philosophy has informed my teaching methodology abroad, inspiring me to foster classroom environments where processes are valued as much as outcomes.” 

His work is a testament to the enduring impact of a Calhoun education, and to the values of empathy, curiosity, and innovation that continue to guide him.