I have known Carlton Rounds for a third of my life. In this time, he has been an irreplaceable source of tempered wisdom, honest encouragement, and unwavering faith in what is possible. I met Carlton, in what could have just been in passing, at the World Scholar Athlete games in 2000 for five minutes one sunny afternoon. He took a liking to me. He saw potential for a positive force in the world. He made it his business to ensure that potential was given an opportunity to prove itself. The three major turning points of my life since those games in 2000 have the fingerprints of Carlton’s guiding hands all over them. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have such a person in my life.
I was a fifteen year old kid with a big mouth, a bigger attitude, and an immeasurable confidence in myself, when a short conversation with a stranger prompted an invitation to an early breakfast. My alarm didn’t go off. I woke up late. Embarrassed, I took off running toward the dining hall only to see my new acquaintance clearing his dishes and heading out the door. I apologized out of breath. He forgave me. We talked about who I was and who I wanted to be until he was late for his morning meetings. Within a week, he had introduced me to many memorable characters, taught me the concept and process of idea actualization over a loud lunch with a boisterous bunch, and offered me an opportunity for higher education. Carlton moves fast. If you can keep up, it will pay off.
I entered Simon’s Rock College of Bard at the age of 16. Carlton checked in on me during his visits to the campus, listening to my mistakes and discoveries. After my first semester, I informed Carlton that I was considering dabbling in the theater and might take a class next semester. He asked me a few quick questions in order to gauge my seriousness on the topic at hand. Then, he challenged me to push beyond dabbling. This is how Carlton works. He finds out how willing you are to commit to yourself – and once convinced – he gives his all to you. With a turn in the right direction, I applied and was accepted into Powerhouse Theater / NY Stage and Film’s summer program at Vassar. This program began my current six year journey into the theater. I cannot imagine my life without the theater. In the same way, I find it hard to imagine where I would be today without Carlton. He trusted and supported my instincts, while challenging me to risk failure. In the process, he didn’t just point me in the right direction, or help me gain acceptance into a program or a school; rather, he taught me an approach to living my life. Every day I wake up motivated by the potential of what is possible.
I graduated college in 2006, packed my life into a station wagon and left home. I wanted to create theater and travel the world and was lucky enough to realize those goals – while reaffirming a love for teaching in the process. Upon returning home two years later, I contacted Carlton to share with him my new perspective of myself and the world in which I live, communicating a desire to go global. It seems he had been patiently waiting for this moment. We discussed several promising options and he committed himself to helping me throughout whichever process, program, or path I chose to pursue - challenging me to trust my gut. I leave for South Africa to begin teaching in less than three weeks.
Within a weeks worth of time spread out over the last eight years, Carlton has forever altered my path in life. He has informed my decision making process with simple truths of the world: network (be a good person and people will be good to you, care about change and others will join your cause), actively listen (the answers to all of your questions can be found in the mouths of strangers, strangers who can easily become friends and family), and the embracement of fear (there are no risks, only missed opportunities). I feel extremely fortunate to have had Carlton as a mentor in my life, and I know several people who feel the same way. I am not a special case. Every time Carlton finds potential for a positive force in the world, he is willing to invest his support. There are many of us out in the world who have been guided by his trusted hand. It seems long ago, Carlton discovered the most efficient way to ensure change in this world – was one person at a time.
Daniel Houston
Playwright
Cell: 1-203-214-5854
Email: Dan.Houston@comcast.net
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