Business Technology chair receives prestigious honor
By Laura Taglialavore
Jan 21, 2015
These days, it’s hard to imagine running a business or doing research without the Internet. But when Willie Caldwell first started working at Houston Community College four decades ago, most office workers had to rely on typewriters, telephones and the postal service to communicate. Over the years, her Business Technology students have gone from using floppy disks and dial-up modems to laptops and cloud storage.
“To see technology change, to know that we have to grow with technology, it is exciting,” said Caldwell. “Years ago, when I started teaching Business Technology, the computers would almost cover an entire desk. Now you have a computer that’s on your phone.”
Throughout her 44 years at HCC, Caldwell has challenged herself to never stop learning, keeping up with ever-evolving technology to make sure that her students are learning the right skills to succeed. It’s one of the reasons why Caldwell, who serves as Department Chair of Business Technology, is receiving a prestigious honor. The Southwest College professor was selected late last year as a 2014 John & Suanne Roueche Excellence Awards recipient, a recognition given to community college professors who have made outstanding contributions to higher education.
“This award means that my hard work, diligence, and love for serving others is recognized and appreciated,” said Caldwell. “I am grateful.”
The popular professor first started her career at Houston Community College in 1971, which makes her the college system’s longest-tenured employee. She recalls a time when HCC used Houston ISD buildings for teaching facilities and only offered classes during evenings and weekends.
“Our HCC family was small then and it was easier to make decisions about the college because we didn’t have a hundred different ideas. We just pulled together as a family,” said Caldwell. “It was great. It was a rewarding time to be involved in the inception of HCC.”
Caldwell is amazed how quickly HCC grew from a small operation founded by HISD to one of the largest community college systems in the country.
“I have never in my life seen fast-paced growth as I have seen at Houston Community College,” she said. “We are still growing. We do that because of changes in technology and changes in the educational subjects we have to have to meet industry requirements. If you want to be part of such a growing entity, you have to be ready to move with it.”
For Caldwell, one of the most rewarding aspects of teaching is to hear from former students who have graduated.
“It makes you feel so good to watch them be successful and come back to thank you for what you’ve done,” said Caldwell. “Although they thought you were hard at the time, they realize you were not hard at all, you were just concerned. That is rewarding. I love that.”
Caldwell also loves teaching non-traditional college students.
“I don’t only teach the 18-year-olds. I teach the 88-year-olds,” she said. “It is a learning experience to teach, as I call them, the experienced or the seasoned customers. It is rewarding because they push you to do more so they can get more.”
Thanks to Caldwell’s instruction, thousands of Business Technology students have graduated from HCC over the years and gone on to achieve their highest potential in the business world. After all, great teachers help create great students.