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Faculty Interview: Chase Caldwell

Chase Caldwell's enthusiasm is infectious. He could inspire you to get out onto the dance floor for the first time, fall in love with filmmaking, or simply make each day even more fun than the day before.

Bringing a creative eye to everything he does — from his directorial debut (featured below) to the films he helps his students craft — Chase is excited to return as a member of Explo at Wellesley's faculty and continue inspiring young minds to feats of greatness and joy.

Where are you in your life now?

I'm graduating with a fine arts degree in film production this May from the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida. At the same time that I was wrapping up my final year, I also wrote and directed an independent feature film called I Did. You can watch the trailer and get a little more info about it here: www.ididfilm.com. The film is in post-production now and we hope to premiere it during the fall film festival season later this year and release it next year!

What was your experience like working at EXPLO this past summer?

My experience working at Explo last summer was absolutely terrific. I've never worked somewhere where I've felt so much personal and professional growth so quickly. It was certainly challenging, but of course that challenge is what that makes such rapid growth possible. After a summer at Explo I felt like I was ready to take on anything.

Explo was also a whole lot of fun! Everyday was completely different from the rest and you never knew just what to expect. Teaching my courses was extremely rewarding but also a total blast! Getting to see young people excited about film, something I love, was absolutely fantastic.

Were there any moments in particular that stood out for you, above the rest?

The moment that stood out for me most came from a student in my living group after the Explo closing ceremonies. He was concerned about the fact that there would be dancing at the event and spent most of the day feeling nervous about it.

He couldn't be convinced that everything would work out okay that night but when we all got to the dance he saw all of his friends, immediately lost all of his inhibitions, and ran out on the dance floor. He had an absolute blast.

On the way back up to our floor that night he found me and told me that he'd never done that before and then went on to say that the reason he felt comfortable putting himself out there like that was because being at Explo made him feel free.

What would you consider your greatest achievements/rewards from the summer?

Pre-Explo, I would have never imagined that I would have the ability to get up in front of a group of people and teach a class for an hour. Let alone do that for six weeks! Explo pushes you way outside your comfort zone and I'd say my greatest achievement from the summer was just letting go and stepping outside of where I felt safe.

The best reward from the summer would be the relationships I was able to form with students and staff. It was amazing how quickly our family like bond formed and I can't wait to see them again next summer.

What would you consider your greatest challenge — and your greatest inspiration?

My greatest challenge from a summer at Explo is really just finding a way to adapt back to the pace of everyday life after Explo. You get so used to constant challenges, engagement, and interaction during an Explo summer that "the real world" ends up feeling a little too easy afterwards.

The greatest inspiration was the students. "Every student deserves to have an awesome summer." Elliot Targum (Head of Program at Explo at Wellesley) said this in the very beginning and I carried it with me all summer. I think everyone deserves to have an amazing childhood and to create wonderful memories. Working with students at Explo put all of us staffers in charge of making those memories amazing.

What skills/life lessons do you feel you brought to your experience at EXPLO, and to the people — and children — you worked with?

My experience as a filmmaker was certainly one of the most prevalent characteristics I that brought to Explo. I was able to bring my experience as a writer/director to all of my courses and as I was was still in the process of prepping my feature film while I was at Explo I was able to share that with students interested in professional filmmaking and engage them with that.

I'd also add that my experience working on film sets was very similar to how Explo functioned. The creativity, energy, and ability to adapt to new things quickly was something absolutely necessary to working in film that I'd like to think I brought to my experience working with other staffers.

This summer, you're scheduled to come back to EXPLO? What excites you the most? What are you most looking forward to?

I can't wait to get back! Can't wait to see old friends! Students and staff alike! I'm really excited about being able to tweak my courses and teach entire new batches of students. And i'm thrilled put myself back into the fast-paced world of working at Explo.