15 Minutes with Caleb Mikesell
Interviewed by Derek Swartzlander

Icon: You graduated from Bluffton High School in 2019. What have you been doing since then?
I’ve been attending Bluffton University, majoring in Elementary Education and Intervention Specialist. I’m involved in my church, St. John Mennonite, and in the Concert Band here at the university.

What are your goals after you graduate?
I want to teach elementary school and start working towards my master's in school administration.

What makes you interested in education?
It’s something I’ve wanted to do since I was a kid. I’ve always been creatively driven, good with kids, and passionate about people and relationships more than anything else, so education seemed like the best fit for my personality. I also come from many generations of teachers, so teaching is in my blood.

Was there a teacher at Bluffton who really inspired you?
There were many teachers at BHS who inspired me, but the first that comes to mind is Mr. Rackley. I was never that good at memorizing dates for History, but he piqued my interest with the topics we studied and the ways we studied them. He also got me into debating, which is a skill I value to this day.

What is the most trouble you’ve got into at school?
Tryna get dirt on me huh?) One time in 2nd grade I tried to lie to my friend saying that I had read all the Harry Potter books. He didn’t believe me and asked me questions about the story. When I couldn’t answer, I got frustrated and swung at him with a book I had in my hand. I intended to miss him by a little bit, and just to scare him, but I hit him smack on the face. I apologized profusely but word got back to my teacher and I spent one recess in the principal’s office quaking in my boots.

You mentioned you were in the band at Bluffton University. What has been your favorite memory from music?
Music has given me countless amazing memories and people in my life, I don’t know if I can pick a definitive favorite. One of my favorites however, certainly has to be leading the band my senior year in Hang On Sloopy, where I started the song being the only one playing and swung my sousaphone all the way down to the ground on the first note.