The Vanguard — Caleb Chandler ’27

The Vanguard series highlights cadets of Virginia Military Institute who exemplify promise, perseverance, and the true spirit of leadership. While they may not be the top-ranking students or those in prestigious positions, these individuals’ dedication, resilience, and growth embody the essence of being a VMI cadet. By sharing their stories, including the challenges they’ve faced and overcome, we shine a spotlight on the diverse paths to success at the Institute, proving that leadership and excellence come in many forms. 

Caleb Chandler ’27 wanted a challenge when it came to deciding what language to study at Virginia Military Institute.  

“When I saw the different language options, I didn’t want to take Chinese, I didn’t want to take Spanish or French, I kind of thought they were too basic,” the modern languages and cultures major admitted. “I wanted that challenge of Arabic, and I’m glad I did.”

He was inspired to explore Arabic after observing his father, an aviation mechanic in the U.S. Navy during the War on Terror. He said that area of the world had consumed his father’s life, so it was really all he knew growing up. 

Chandler originally set his sights on VMI because he was recruited for the wrestling team. Growing up in a military family, the Institute was appealing to him. But he left the team last year and decided the club rugby team was more up his alley.  

“Being a NCAA athlete is not for the weak,” he said.  

Instead, he’s taken on more roles for the Corps, like being elected the class historian, which means he’s in charge of housing for all the cadets. 

“If there’s ever room disputes or anything like that, usually I’m the primary mediator,” he explained. “Or if the room does need to be changed, I’ll change it and make sure all parties are on the same side, as well as the commandant staff. That’s my primary job.”  

By being part of the General Committee, if there are violations of the class system or the white book, he is part of the committee that prosecutes. 

Chandler’s passion for Arabic earned him a scholarship for the Project Global Officer (Project GO) program last year, which provides ROTC students with opportunities to study strategic languages and cultures abroad. The scholarship is funded by the Department of Defense and the experience lasts about two months, specifically for critical language speakers, Chandler said.  

“That could be anything from Arabic, Chinese, Swahili, Russian, those types of languages that the government deems necessary for young officers to speak,” he said. “You basically spend two months there in intensive learning.” 

He said that sometimes he’d be in the classroom for four hours or even up to eight hours — all Arabic instruction with culture lessons mixed in.  

While participating, Chandler said he visited eight cities in Morocco, rode a camel in the Sahara Desert, all while expanding his language capabilities.  

“I got used to hearing [Arabic] from native speakers, because there’s only so much you can do in the classroom,” he stated. “When you have hours that you can dive into it and you can see what your weaknesses are, you can become better. My speaking became better, my listening, my comprehension, everything.” 

His studies were centered at the American Language Center, which was close to his host family. His host mother didn’t speak any English, and he had to communicate entirely in Arabic at home, unless his host brothers were there to help.

“I was nervous initially. I had only completed the 100 level of the language by this point. I could do basic greetings and stuff like that,” he admitted. “I’d say about by the halfway point, I had kind of gotten a schedule down, and most things that my host mother would ask me, I would be able to understand.” 

Maj. Hicham Assaoui, assistant professor of Arabic in the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures, said studying and living in Morocco was a rigorous and immersive experience, one that Chandler not only met, but thrived in.  

“He quickly adapted to his host family, developed meaningful relationships, and served as what I can only consider as a cultural bridge between American and Moroccan communities,” Assaoui explained. “He is both mature and resilient. In terms of academic promise, his strong performance in the Moroccan history and culture course and his growth in Arabic proficiency signal a strong potential for future success.” 

His commitment to the study of Arabic continues on post. An active participant in the Group Study Session (GSS) tutor group, he holds group study sessions once a week for the 101 or 102 levels of Arabic. He’ll also attend lower-level Arabic classes to understand what each class is working on so he can tailor his study sessions to best fit those who need help.  

“I’ll write down notes to myself and what they need to work on in conjunction with the professor, and when we come in to the group study sessions, we’ll spend that entire hour, maybe on verb conjugation or reviewing vocabulary — it’s completely what they want,” he said. “I try and make it as close to possible to what helped me succeed.” 

According to Lt. Col. Jason Schroepfer, assistant professor in the Department of Modern Languages and Culture, the way Chandler approaches learning Arabic has stood out to him. He describes him as a leader to those wishing to learn Arabic, where his fellow cadets look to him for guidance.  

“In communication activities, he quietly takes stock of the task at hand by actively taking notes. He then applies the knowledge undeterred by the fear of making mistakes. He also takes feedback on some areas of improvement, if need be,” Schroepfer said. “In Arabic reading tasks, he’s also not afraid to take measured risks by making educated guesses on the meanings of words and structures that are just a little bit more advanced than his current level. These hallmarks of a motivated, independent student, more often than not, payoff for him. Most importantly, these are traits that are shared by highly successful people in general.”

Mohammed Shihab, Arabic professor in the Department of Modern Languages and Culture, said Chandler possesses a proactive drive to serve. Shihab has observed him during study and tutoring sessions with other cadets where Chandler doesn’t give them the answers, instead he guides them on how to study, breaking down difficult course material into understandable segments.  

“His initiative in seeking out those in need of help and his selfless dedication to their success is a rare and valuable trait that speaks directly to his character and potential as a leader of character,” Shihab said. “Cadet Chandler is the complete package: a brilliant and diligent student, a born leader, and a person of profound integrity. He is precisely the type of individual — one who leads with intelligence, compassion, and unwavering reliability.” 

Chandler said he’s grown more as a person while being at VMI. He started out as a shy individual, but with the roles he’s taken on and embrace, he’s become more confident. 

“I have to assert myself, and I’ve become so much more confident, and I can actually believe what I’m saying,” he stated. “I don’t get as nervous as much. Public speaking always killed me, but now it’s just something that’s required. I kind of just evolved.” 

He admits he enjoys every second of VMI, something he’s said others may find a little weird. 

“These are some of the best memories in the world,” he commented. “Like nights when you’re just staying up with the roommates, doing homework until maybe one or two in the morning. But you can just look back and it all makes it worth it. Just the bonds here.” 

He says he’s grown as a student. 

“I want to learn as much as possible, but I find it frustrating that there’s not enough class time for me to dive into it. I get so passionate about it,” he said. 

Chandler will be commissioning into the U.S. Army with the hopes to be a military intelligence officer, utilizing his love of Arabic. 

Assaoui has observed Chandler’s work in multiple contexts. Every week Chandler helps man the Arabic language table, he was also Assaoui’s student for study abroad in Morocco, and currently he’s enrolled in his upper-level Arabic 302 class.  

Assaoui said Chandler exemplifies the kind of cadet that VMI strives to cultivate.  

“He stands out for his initiative, adaptability, and genuine passion for learning,” he explained. “While many students are content to meet expectations, he consistently goes above and beyond to excel. His ability to build rapport with classmates, instructors, and host families reflects strong interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence.”