For author and U.S. Army veteran Will Bardenwerper, September 11, 2001, marked a turning point that changed his entire life and career. The Blair community welcomed Mr. Bardenwerper, author of two national bestsellers, for the first time on Tuesday, March 25. 

At Blair, Mr. Bardenwerper plans to discuss his “somewhat circuitous career path,” which began with working in the financial industry in Manhattan. Following the tragic events of September 11, Mr. Bardenwerper decided to serve for his country as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army. After his military service, he furthered his education at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, where he obtained his masters in international public policy. His experiences afforded him the opportunity to then work in the Office of the Secretary of Defense before he decided to “make another dramatic pivot to writing full time,” he shared in a pre-event interview. 

“There are certainly pros and cons to such a non-linear path, which I hope to discuss,” he said. “I will then discuss both of my books, the most recent of which is scheduled for March 11 publication by Doubleday.”

In addition to his masters degree, Mr. Bardenwerper holds a bachelor of arts from Princeton University and has written several books, including The Prisoner in His Palace: Saddam Hussein, His American Guards, and What History Leaves Unsaid and Homestand: Small Town Baseball and the Fight for the Soul of America. 

When the author isn’t busy writing, he spends time with his two children, family, friends and community. What he enjoys most is planting his boots firmly on his own soil and connecting with similar, everyday Americans. 

“The most gratifying thing about long-form nonfiction writing is the opportunity to shed light on amazing lives that may otherwise go unnoticed. As someone I spoke to said, ‘Every life is a novel, we just don't take the time to read most of them.’ In other words, there is often incredible courage and resilience to be discovered in the lives of people who sometimes fly under the radar of Hollywood or the mainstream media, and I love uncovering these stories and bringing them to life.”

If he had to impart one overarching piece of advice to his young audience next week, he would encourage students to expand their horizons and keep their minds open, for they might not know all of the endless possibilities out there for them.

“The world is a big place and there are a remarkable number of things one can do after college that are fulfilling. It is also important to make educated decisions and to sometimes recognize that, in the wonderful words of Jerry Seinfeld, ‘Sometime the road less traveled is less traveled for a reason!’”

History of Skeptics

The Society of Skeptics was established as a forum for students and faculty to discuss and debate important global issues; it has grown to become one of the premier high school lecture series in the United States. Each week, speakers from the political, social, scientific, economic and literary arenas share their unique perspectives with students, who are encouraged to engage with presenters, asking questions and debating points of view.

The program, which is funded in part by the Class of 1968 Society of Skeptics Endowment Fund, is an outgrowth of the Blair International Society, begun in 1937. Forty years later, former history department chair Elliott Trommald, PhD, Hon. ’65, established the modern Skeptics program as a regular forum for student discussion and debate; history teacher Martin Miller, PhD, took over in the mid-1980s and molded the program into a weekly lecture series, one that has since continued without interruption. Under the tutelage of Dr. Miller and his successor, history department chair Jason Beck, Skeptics has featured a wide variety of speakers who are thought-provoking, engaging, accomplished in their respective fields and often controversial. For a listing of upcoming Skeptics programs, please visit Blair’s website.