The Ghostwriter had the opportunity to sit down and interview senior Tristan Caldwell for our Student Spotlight series. Read the transcript below for our full interview!

Q: What is your name?

A: My name is Tristan Caldwell.

Q: What grade are you?

A: I am a senior.

Q: Can you tell us something others wouldn’t know about you?

A: I would have to say I really enjoy biking. Every year I go on the Boston Marathon bike trip, and last summer I organized a bike trip biking from Pittsburgh all the way to Washington, D.C. It’s about 370 miles, really close to 12 days.

Q: What group was that with?

A: That was under Boy Scouts, which I used to be a part of.

Q: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

A: In 10 years, I’ll graduate from college, possibly be going to grad school, hopefully starting a family, and settling down somewhere.

Q: Do you have any idea of what your major would be?

A: Yeah, I want to go into mechanical engineering.

Q: What job could be in that field?

A: I really like making things hands on, so probably robotics, that kind of thing.

Q: If you could have a meal with any other person in the world who would be?

A: I’d have to say my manager, Brad Walk. I really look up to him and I learn a lot when I talk to him.

Q: So what does he do? What kind of manager?

A: He is a manager where I work at Kimball Farm. This year I’m going to be a manager, as well. So, he has taught me a lot and I’ll be ready for the job.

Q: How many years have you been working at Kimball’s?

A: It’s going to be my third year.

Q: And what do you do there?

A: My first two years I worked at bumper boats, and that is part of the greater department of bumper boats in mini golf.

Q: Are you hoping that this job will get you a better repertoire together and prepare you for mechanical engineering jobs in the future?

A: I wouldn’t say there’s a lot of correlation, but it’s all about the connections you make, right? So all these guys that I’ve made friends with and they know how hard of a worker I am, so they’re going to be good recommendations in the future.

Q: If you get a tattoo anywhere, what would it be and where would it be?

A: I’d have to say probably on my arm or my back. I don’t know what it would be.

Q: Would it symbolize anything? 

A: Yeah, I might get one for my dog. I really love my dog and he’s getting old. So, it is getting close to where I can get a tattoo before he’s gone.

Q: What’s his name?

A: Cedar.

Q: What’s with the Band-Aid [you are wearing]?

A: So the Band-Aid today was from a blood drive. I got my blood drawn today at like 8:00 in the morning. I’ve been a little loopy since then.

Q: Was it for a certain organization?

A: I’m not really sure. All I know is that the school partnered with this bloodmobile that came and parked outside. This is my third year doing that, as well. I think it’s just general use for people who need blood transfusions or something like that.

Q: Do you play any sports at WA?

A: Yeah, I do. I play volleyball. I had tryouts yesterday for Varsity and made the team, and I am going to be starting as a middle blocker.

Q: Did you play any other sports?

A: I played soccer for 10 years of my life from when I was 5 to about 15. But once COVID hit, I had to take a break and that’s when I found volleyball.

Q: Do you do any sports outside of school?

A: Yeah, I do. This shirt I’m wearing is my club, Slam Volleyball, which is out of Marlborough. I just got done with the club season about two weeks ago.

Q: Was the club team fun?

A: Yeah, it was a good time.

Q: When is the volleyball season? I know that WA Boys’ Volleyball is in the spring.

A: So club season is before the school season. The main goal is really to get you prepared for the school season when you are in high school.

Q: I know you are a senior, are you doing a capstone?

A: Yeah, I’m doing capstone.

Q: What are you doing for your capstone?

A: Me and my friend Brenton are building a robotic arm that can do American Sign Language. I know we have resources here such as 3D printers and stuff like that, and also some of the teachers are going to be able to help us out with my advisor Mr. Bowen. But it is going to be a lot of work outside of school, as well.

Q: What’s the goal of the project?

A: This [arm] is going to be a prototype, but the goal is to be able to replace American interpreters and also allow more accessibility for people who are deaf or have a hard time hearing.

Q: Thank you Tristan for participating.

A: Thank you for letting me be a part of it.