Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Keith Cavedo

Dr. Keith Cavedo is an English professor and coordinator of SFSC’s Tutoring and Learning Center. He came to SFSC in 2015 after completing a visiting instructorship at the University of South Florida – Sarasota-Manatee and having taught at a number of regional colleges.

“When I interviewed at SFSC, it was the first time I visited a predominantly rural part of the state,” he said. “The SFSC Highlands Campus is beautiful; however, I wondered what else was available. Hailing from Sarasota, an affluent arts enclave, I experienced culture shock at first. But now when I visit Sarasota, the traffic has worsened and it’s expensive. Everything is much more affordable – and navigable – here. I’m happy to reside in Highlands County.”

Dr. Cavedo was born and raised in and around Richmond, Va. Although an elementary school aptitude test indicated he was destined to become a farmer, the true direction of his career became clear as a senior in high school. He had the good fortune that year to take an AP English class with Mr. John Hagadorn, an actor in community theater. “Mr. Hagadorn would come to class and introduce the literature we were reading with a performance of some kind – for instance, by acting scenes in various roles from plays,” he said. “We proved to be a captive audience and delighted in observing his performances.

“I’ve always responded to literature – stories, novels, plays, and poems – since childhood, and I thought at the time, ‘Mr. Hagadorn made learning about literature fun. I’d like to become a teacher and do what he does.’ Mr. Hagadorn was the first teacher to inspire me to choose education as a career path. I think a lot of teachers have similar stories and are inspired by someone or their instructors to choose this profession.”

Dr. Cavedo earned his bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Va. He was awarded his Master of Arts in Literature from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in Richmond and his Ph.D. in English (Literature and Film Studies) from the University of South Florida in Tampa.

While at VCU, he worked as a tour guide at the Edgar Allan Poe Museum in Richmond. “We gave an hour’s tour informing visitors about the life and literature of Poe,” Dr. Cavedo said. “Poe was also raised in Richmond. In one location of the Museum are stored his original handwritten manuscripts and rare first editions of his publications, and the tour guides had access to this vault. I remember reading a letter Poe had written to his wife, who was dying from tuberculosis. He wrote that he didn’t know how he was going to manage without her. It struck a deep personal chord with me.

“To read a great writer’s intimate feelings and thoughts is an experience that cannot be duplicated. For me, literature connects all of us to the human condition and reminds us that we are not and never alone.”

Early on, Dr. Cavedo’s teaching career took him to Istanbul, Turkey. “My first teaching job was at a military boarding school in Front Royal, Va. My first wife is Turkish and was pregnant with our son at the time. She wanted to return to Turkey to have our son because her family lived in Turkey. I was hired over the phone by a private high school where I would teach English to Turkish students. The biggest challenge I had was that students wanted to speak in Turkish during class – but I knew Spanish far better than Turkish.”

He smiled and said, “My students also thought that all Americans are wealthy and know lots of celebrities. I quickly corrected them on both counts.”

While living in Istanbul, Dr. Cavedo had an opportunity to visit the Blue Mosque (or Sultan Ahmed Mosque), an Ottoman-era mosque constructed between 1609 and 1617. It is considered one of the most iconic and popular monuments of Ottoman architecture.

“I really wanted to go into the Blue Mosque when we visited; however, I wasn’t dressed appropriately,” Dr. Cavedo said. “Like a typical Western tourist, I wore a T-shirt and jeans. We were standing outside the Mosque, trying to figure out what we could do. A merchant who owned a carpet store across the street understood my dilemma and was able to help me by offering a dress shirt and the tightest (dress) pants I’ve ever tried to squeeze into.

“My wife and I proceeded into the mosque. She was allowed to accompany me but not into the inner sanctum, the innermost area and a prayer chamber. You had to be male to enter. The visual magnificence is arresting – the arches, the main dome, the semi-domes, and the bountiful light from the windows. Suddenly, we heard the call for prayer. Everyone knelt to pray. When in Rome, do as the Romans do, so I assumed the position.

“I must have moved too quickly because I heard a ripping noise. My tight pants tore in the back as I went down. Luckily, no one seemed to notice or at least didn’t acknowledge this embarrassing situation. Afterward, we went to the carpet store, and I apologized to the merchant for splitting his dress pants. I ended up buying a carpet from him to make up for it.”

“Traveling to a foreign country is an illuminating experience,” Dr. Cavedo said. “However, when you live there for a while, you become immersed in the culture. When I returned to the United States, I began perceiving my own culture differently, which I had taken for granted. I had become aware of both the positive and negative in the cultural juxtaposition.

“For example, I thought about all the wonderful material and other opportunities we have here that they don’t have in Turkey. On the other hand, in Istanbul I walked on streets paved by Romans 2,000 or more years ago. There is a far older sense of changing cultures and history in Turkey compared to the United States. In the States, anything that is 50- to 100-years-old is considered old.”

Dr. Cavedo teaches primarily ENC 1101 and 1102 (Freshman English I and II) and Theatre Appreciation. Less frequently, he teaches Introduction to Literature, American Literature, and an American Films and Culture seminar. In addition, he serves as coordinator of the Tutoring and Learning Center (TLC). Staffed by specialist tutors, work-study students, and volunteers, the TLC offers math, science, Spanish (hopefully soon), and writing tutoring to SFSC students at all campuses in the labs, by Zoom, and by email.

“The TLC fosters successful student retention and graduation,” Dr. Cavedo said. “The TLC should be regarded as an extension of the professor or classroom and provides yet another critical learning resource for our students. Moreover, any student can benefit from tutoring. I advise my best students to schedule appointments. If you’re already a great writer, you can become an even better one. Potentially average students can improve and struggling students can earn passing grades. In sum, anyone can benefit from feedback – regardless of the subject area or modality. The TLC should not be perceived as only a remedial resource.”

Whether it is teaching or supervising the TLC, Dr. Cavedo continues his love of education and being an educator. “I tell learners who are interested in becoming an educator that you probably won’t retire as a millionaire – but that’s not why we go into this profession.

“We become teachers because of the special rapport we have with our students. We continually learn from our students as much as they learn from us, and we all learn from each other. Something magical happens in this dynamic learning environment that is distinct if not unique.”