Ithaca's 'Community Cal' Spends Decades Helping Others See Their Potential

Cal Walker's life has been shaped by his experiences and interactions with others. He believes that every child and adult has gifts that deserve to be recognized, and he has spent decades helping people see their potential.

Walker's work in Ithaca began after he graduated from college in North Carolina, where he took a sales position at Procter & Gamble Distributing Co. His territory covered much of the region, but he chose Ithaca as his home due to Cornell University's opportunities for continuing education. After 15 years at P&G and 25 years at Cornell, Walker retired and now works with Ithaca High School in various roles.

Walker's approach is rooted in the belief that academic struggles are not always about academics. He looks beyond a student's behavior to understand the barriers that may be keeping them from succeeding. For example, he helped a student who was struggling to stay engaged in class by getting him an eye exam and glasses, which greatly improved his performance.

Walker's commitment to service has been influenced by his family history, particularly his grandfathers' involvement in the Tuskegee syphilis study. He grew up in Tuskegee, where civil rights work was part of his environment, and now serves on the board of the Tuskegee History Center. Walker also experienced a life-threatening illness, peripheral T-cell lymphoma, which changed the way he thought about his time and obligations to others.