An honest conversation with Aaron Pelch, then head football coach and now athletic director at Millsaps College, helped direct Caleb Martin on his path through college and law school.
“During my sophomore football season, Coach Aaron Pelch and I sat down to discuss my future academically, athletically and, more generally, as a person,” recalls Martin. “I believe that meeting, together with Coach Pelch’s continued guidance, helped me to take a more purposeful approach to my time at Millsaps and helped me get where I am today.”
It was also during his sophomore year that Martin joined the Army ROTC program, hosted in partnership with Jackson State University, and the Mississippi Army National Guard. He saw this as an opportunity to serve while also supporting the costs of his undergraduate studies and later, law school. He served as the battalion’s head operations officer during his time in ROTC and was commissioned as an officer in the Mississippi Army National Guard at graduation.
Martin came to Millsaps from Deer Park, Texas, attracted — like so many other students — by the sense of community.
“Whether it be through athletic recruitment or through academic scholarship programs with admissions, I felt valued as an individual as opposed to just one of many,” Martin said. “This made it easy for me to see how I could fit in and contribute to the community fostered at Millsaps.”
While earning a degree in business administration with minors in political science and philosophy, Martin played football, stayed involved in student activities, rose through the ranks in ROTC, and learned what he said are “valuable lessons in time management that I still use today.”
Now a graduate of the University of Texas School of Law and a practicing attorney with Kirkland & Ellis in Houston, Martin is making the most of his Millsaps experiences and the classes that helped build the foundation for his career. Of all the classes he took at Millsaps, three stand out as his favorites: Business Law with Harvey Fiser; Civil Rights and Civil Liberties with Kenneth Townsend; and Constitutional Law with Dr. Rob Pearigen (yes, the president of the college is also a professor!).
“My experiences in these courses helped lead me in the decision to go to law school as well as helped me develop skills necessary for success. Furthermore, each of these professors took an interest in my development and helped me get where I am today. I believe my Millsaps education uniquely prepared me for my career by giving me the foundation in business acumen and by pushing me to think critically and communicate effectively.”