Looking at AJ Calderon’s life, you might not expect that he’d be an English major. A veteran of the Marine Corps, Calderon initially pursued a degree in psychology because he wanted to help future generations. However, he quickly discovered his true passion: storytelling. Now an English Major with a focus on fiction and poetry with a double minor in screenwriting and video production arts, Calderon is dedicated to crafting meaningful and immersive narratives that resonate deeply with audiences. “I want to be a storyteller, a good storyteller,” he explains. “No matter how beautiful something is, the story is what holds it together.”
For AJ Calderon, storytelling is more than creative expression — it’s a way to bridge communities, spark understanding, and show others that every story, no matter how personal, holds the power to connect. This belief extends beyond his own writing; it fuels his passion for helping the veteran community embrace the arts. He aspires to create a creative platform to support fellow veterans as they take their own step into storytelling, especially after years of focusing solely on technical skills. “There are multiple combinations of where I can tell my story, and that’s what I hope to offer the veteran community,” Calderon states.
Originally Calderon didn’t consider English as a major, but rather he saw literature as an elitist art form until he began his English courses. “People think you need a certain level of intellect to appreciate literature, but everything is subjective. The meaning of a word or a story is unique to each person. That realization changed the way I write,” Calderon said.
His academic journey has led him to multiple forms of storytelling, moving beyond writing to include theater and film. When Calderon signed up for an acting class, his journey took a rewarding turn for the better and altered his point of view on his future career. This single class sparked a passion for theater that led Calderon to audition for multiple Ohio State productions, landing a role in Blood Wedding. This show truly sparked his love for theater as a form of storytelling. He continued to audition for shows, and his dedication paid off when he was offered the role of Assistant Director for the Department of Theatre, Film, and Media Arts’ recent production of Seven Guitars.
Following his success with Seven Guitars, Calderon learned of the Black Box Series while traveling on the London Theatre Program. The Black Box Series is a student organization that takes students’ original works and turns them into full-scale productions. After working with this organization for the first time, Calderon became so passionate that he joined its executive board as vice president. Recently he’s directed three more plays, including a Black Box Series production, Explicit Content for Teens, which ran from April 3 to April 6. His love for theater has strengthened his love for storytelling and how he goes about sharing his work. “I was able to share my stories with [others], and I think it helped me realize that my stories can reach multiple different audiences if I do different things,” Calderon reflects.
With a focus in changing the idea that veterans can’t be creative, Calderon is creating a platform where veterans can showcase their own creative pieces. He believes that they all have stories to tell and deserve a safe space to share those stories among a supportive community. He’s currently looking into working with the National Veterans Memorial and Museum to create artistic opportunities for those who have served. “I’m not trying to convert anyone into the arts,” Calderon remarks. “I just want to offer an option. Veterans have so many stories, and this is a way to make sure they are heard.”
In addition to directing and writing plays, Calderon is working on screenplays, novels, and poetry. His poetry, which often explores themes of heartbreak and resilience, has been published in Ohio State’s Student Veterans Association newsletter and has resonated deeply with readers—particularly fellow veterans: “A lot of veterans go through divorce, trauma, and loss. When they read my poetry, they tell me, ‘This is exactly what I was feeling but didn’t know how to put into words.’ That’s the kind of connection I want to make through my work.” As graduation approaches, Calderon is thinking about the next part of his journey and plans to pursue a master’s degree in filmmaking, directing, or producing. He doesn’t know which path to follow, but he knows that he wants to continue creating and sharing his personal stories to explore the power of storytelling and embracing the unknown. Whether through film, theater, poetry, or his work with veterans, he is dedicated to creating meaningful art that connects people and provides a sense of support.
For students—traditional or nontraditional—who are hesitant to step outside their comfort zones, Calderon offers simple but powerful advice: take the leap. “Fear holds people back,” he says. “I used to overthink everything. I’d sit there asking, ‘What if it goes wrong?’ But one day, I started asking, ‘What if it goes right?’”
