By Trevor Anderson
On school days, Bill Canaday ’77 wakes at 6:30 a.m. and takes a 20-minute walk around his Elmwood Park neighborhood in Columbia, S.C. Then, he reports to Logan Elementary School, a Title I school just a few doors down from his home. As he walks the halls, he’s greeted with high-fives and smiles.
“He’s kind of a celebrity,” says Ashlee McCarthy, a Montessori teacher at Logan Elementary. “His energy and enthusiasm are contagious. The students and teachers light up whenever he’s around. He’s always gracious, courteous, flexible and kind. There is no doubt he loves this school and the community that it’s a part of.”
Since 2000, Canaday has volunteered as a tutor at the school. Before that, he spent 28 years with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. He retired as personnel director in 2009 to devote more time and energy to his service at the school.
“Of all the things I have done, I know that the work I’m doing right now is the most important,” Canaday says. “I love the idea of being a catalyst for these kids and this community. I just showed up. Everything just grew from there.”
Canaday works closely with teachers to identify areas where a student might be struggling before he meets with them individually. His approach focuses on finding what each student is passionate about and using that topic to help them learn.
Canaday also encourages students by giving them each an alliterative nickname like “Assiduous Aiden” and “Tenacious Tyrell.” He says it helps with their vocabulary and becomes part of their identity.
Canaday says his proudest moments are when he can tell a student truly grasps the material.
“One of my fourth graders could only identify five words when he left kindergarten and now, he’s reading ‘Pinocchio,’” Canaday says. “Focus on the child in front of you. Nothing else. Don’t focus on how smart a kid is. Hard work and diligence are what really matter.”
Deryll Hall, a Montessori teacher at Logan Elementary, has fond memories of Canaday mentoring her son, Jacob, who she says will soon start his first teaching job.
“Mr. Canaday taught my son, Jacob, to read world news, and it’s an interest that has continued to this day,” Hall says. “He’s kind of like a grandfather to Jacob. We have so many memories with him.”
Retiosha Dallas teaches third grade at the school. She says Canaday mentored her son, Bryson, and inspired him to attend Morris College.
“We love Mr. Canaday,” Dallas says. “He’s such an inspiration and a positive role model for students. We are thankful for his service.”
Canaday earned his bachelor’s in history from Wofford in three years. During that time, he cultivated a love for theater and lifelong learning.
One of his best memories of Wofford is when he portrayed Algernon Moncrieff in the theatre department’s performance of Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest.”