• Current Scholars
• Alumni
• Dream Big
• Scholar Travels
• Scholar Art & Music
• Scholar Stories
• The Scholar Experience

Ian Christopher Calloway

Biography

Highlights of Young Scholar Experience: In 2006, when Ian began the application process to become a Young Scholar, he showed a maturity beyond his thirteen years of age. He said the Young Scholar experience would surely open doors for him and would provide “an ability to better understand myself” and prepare him for the future. Ian took advantage of every opportunity the program offered including attendance at a private boarding school as well as the many summer programs at universities around the country. Being a Young Scholar “allowed me to do what I enjoy most – chase after science and knowledge.”

Profile: Ian Calloway had a safe, secure comfort zone while growing up in a small city near the North Carolina-Virginia border. “I strayed far away from any sport for fear that I would embarrass myself,” says the young man who had no problem with academics but plenty of confidence problems on the athletic field. But what Ian called his self-imposed prison sentence ended abruptly when he made the decision to leave that comfort zone and attend a prestigious prep school (Woodberry Forest), earning a spot on the cross country team. It was an “epiphany”, he says, as running through the wooded areas near the rural Virginia school opened up a new, exciting and challenging world to the once shy youngster. Hiking, kayaking, mountain climbing, ultimate Frisbee – you name it, Ian tried it. And his experiential learning didn’t just involve physical activities as he also plunged head-first into academic and extracurricular areas he formerly had little interest in – European History, the Model United Nations Team, and many more.

Inspiration: Many young men Ian’s age idolize well-known figures who have succeeded in entertainment, sports or government. Although he’s a big fan of President Obama, Kobe Bryant and Denzel Washington, the person he admires the most is his mother, Robin Calloway, who began to steer him on his path to success at a very early age. “I find myself looking up (though I am now taller than her) to my mother.”

Aspiration: Some type of a career in science is the current plan although Ian has a strong interest in international relations too.

Making a Difference: In addition to many civic groups for which he volunteers, Ian is most proud of his team that was a top finisher in a Science Olympiad competition. The bonding with his teammates was special for him. “The trophy marked the successful combination of my two favorite ideas—pursuing knowledge as far as it leads, and achieving great things with others.”

Accolades: In 2009, Ian received awards in history and biology at Woodberry Forest School as well as being named the institution’s Walker Scholar. And those weren’t all the honors he racked up that year. He was inducted into the esteemed Cum Laude Society and was honored by both the American Classical League and the Classical Association of Virginia for his performance in the National Latin Exam and Virginia’s Latin Tournament.

Interesting fact: The future collegian who enjoys the peaceful pursuit of reading books in Latin and Greek, also is a risk taker. A perfect day for Ian would be hiking through the woods to the base of a mountain and then scaling a treacherous cliff until he’s reached the summit.
 

Other Scholars Like Ian