Senior Spotlight: Caleb Wood

Get to know Caleb Wood.

Q: What is your major?

A: Cinema television (film and video production).

Q: Hometown?

A: I grew up in Laurinburg, N.C. When I came to Regent, my family moved to Knoxville, Tenn.

Q: What’s a fun fact about yourself?

A: I have a miniature donkey. When I was growing up, my parents had horses and a miniature donkey. A miniature donkey was something I always wanted because I wanted her to pull a cart. Her name is Bette and I always thought if Bette pulled a wagon it would be called the “Bettemobile.” However, I never taught her to pull a cart.

Q: What are your plans after graduation? The ultimate dream?

A: I will be in Virginia Beach at least a year to save up some money. I am looking at going to Chicago. I have some family out there and there is a large church; the same church that does Vertical Church Band, and that does independent films as of the last few years. I am interested in getting connected with them and getting to travel with them as they go country to country.

It would be awesome to be able to tell the stories in the different cultures. I would love to have my “steady” daytime job to be working for a church to better marriage art and the church. I think there is a way to do that and not idolize it. One of the first classes I had a Regent challenged me by asking: How do we take this thing of art and merge it with Christ and the teachings of the Gospel to make it a stronger and more powerful message? I believe it can be done. I would say the ultimate dream would be working for a church and then finding ways to finance independent films on the side.

Q: What was your favorite memory from your time at Regent?

A: My first year was really sweet for a number of reasons. I got really close with all the guys on my hall, which I was not expecting. I grew up in a really small town and only had two really close friends. When I came to Regent, I knew I just needed to find two more friends. However, I was extremely blessed with community and with 30 guys, who all wanted to be brothers in Christ. My RA (Resident Assistant), Jonatas, really poured into me and brought me on my first film set. That film set is where I got to meet a good friend of mine, Seth Eskelund, and it was the first project we worked together… It was Jonatas’ senior project. Seth and I just shot my senior project together, so it all kind of came full circle.

Q: How specifically has Regent prepared to be a Christian leader to change the world? And how do you want to live that out on a daily bases?

A: Being here at Regent, I have been the resident director and I’ve got to handle different conduct situations. I’ve really been encouraged not only by my classes, but by different mentors on campus to approach people with compassion and with a heart that desires to see the situation through the eyes of Christ as well as being willing to look at the situation from the other person’s perspective too. It is important to handle conflict with mercy and show other that God really is a god of mercy. As any leader – specifically a Christian leader – you should show that. I’ve fallen short a lot, but this is something that has really touched me.

I want to go into the film industry, which is a very dark place. When I came to Regent, I knew it was a safe place, so I always thought I’d graduate and go to another safe place. However, I realized that’s not advancing the Kingdom. I started getting scared because I wondered how I could go into such a dark place and grow as a believer. Because of Regent, I now I have the confidence that no matter where I go, if I love the people around me in a Christ like way, it will be okay.

Q: If you could go back and change one thing about your time at Regent, what would it be?

A: We used to do family dinners together. However, that faded in the years following. Sitting down with people and sharing a meal was not only so adult, but it created a great sense of fellowship.

Madeline Ferrante is a staff writer for The Daily Runner.