ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
TAYLOR HAMES & CALEB WALDEN
T
he adventure of a lifetime – marriage – is now a reality for two members of the Tallulah Falls School Class of 2015.
“That’s been the greatest reward,” he says. “It’s been overwhelmingly positive how accepting they’ve been – nothing but real graciousness.”
A shared love of road trips, fly fishing and community service sets the pace for Caleb Walden and Taylor Hames.
Teach for America encourages home visits, which he enjoys.
Walden arrived on campus for his eighth-grade year, with Hames starting high school at TFS. The two didn’t talk much during high school; they didn’t become a couple until a senior year prom date. “Prom really came in handy,” Hames says. The pair made their partnership official on Aug. 14. The outdoor ceremony took place at the Hames family farm, with Walden’s father, the Rev. Grady Walden, officiating. The couple is currently working in Kyle, South Dakota, serving as teachers on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation of the Oglala Lakota tribe. Walden, a three-year veteran of Teach for America, introduced his bride to the students and families at Little Wound Elementary School. Hames graduated from Georgia Southern with a degree in recreation and tourism management. Right out of college, she worked with the YMCA of the Rockies, where she led guests on the rock wall, high and low ropes course and on mountain biking trips.
“For me, going to a family’s home is telling in how they feel about me and the student’s experience; it’s been life-changing,” he added. After their teaching contracts are complete, the couple hopes to tackle the Appalachian Trail, starting early next summer at Mount Katahdin and heading south to Springer Mountain. Why TFS? The families of both graduates had different reasons for choosing TFS. Walden says his parents wanted him to be in a more rigorous academic environment when his father toured the school with Leadership Habersham. “We toured the next week,” he says. Hames’ father wanted a quality educational option for Hames and her four siblings. TFS offered a chance to consolidate with a generous scholarship offer, she says. The pair didn’t have friends in common but got to know each other in Mrs. Terri Bogan’s senior Life Skills class. Both recognize the value of the TFS experience.
She then moved to North Carolina to lead an outdoor education program, interrupted due to COVID. She was happy to be back outside this past summer working as a fly fishing instructor for Sasquatch Fly Fishing in Estes Park, Colorado. She’s now teaching PE to elementary school students in South Dakota.
“I’ve always thought I had a more diverse experience than my friends [who didn’t attend TFS],” Walden says. “Getting to meet boarding students and students from other parts of the country prepared me for college in a way I didn’t appreciate until I got there.”
Walden, a graduate of Birmingham Southern with dual degrees in history and religion, applied right out of college for Teach for America.
Hames says she was better prepared for college than many of her classmates. “I definitely had a foot ahead of some of my peers,” she says.
After training in Tulsa, Oklahoma, he chose South Dakota. “I wanted to work on a reservation,” he says. So far, he’s taught second and third grade and led the after-school drawing club. He’s expanded his love of art recently, too, and is learning tattoo artistry.
As for advice for current students, Hames says to remain flexible in planning for the future. “Don’t put yourself in a box; don’t be afraid to do something else,” she says. “Be willing to try something different.”
Kyle is remote, with a population of fewer than 800 people, Walden says, 90 miles from the nearest fullservice grocery store. The small town has everything needed to build community, Walden says. He’s been touched by the welcome he’s received from the families of his students. On the reservation, the pair have a two-minute walking commute to their school.
Walden echoes the sentiment. “In a million years, I never thought I would be a teacher.” Doors kept opening for him that involved working with young people. “Be very open to people and opportunities,” he says. “Avoid being stuck in one mindset.”
Tallulah Falls School alumni make a distinct mark on the world – after graduation, they embark on bold next steps toward future success – education, career and life. We want to highlight these milestones and other stories about outstanding TFS alumni in the pages of On Campus, on the school website or on the school’s social media accounts. If you have something noteworthy to share, click on the URL code or email tallulahfallsschool@tallulahfalls.org.
10 • ON CAMPUS MAGAZINE
