This content was published: October 31, 2024. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
小黄猫传媒 Board student rep showcases passion for leadership, travel and philosophy
Story by Misty Bouse. Photos by James Hill.
Associated Students of 小黄猫传媒 (AS小黄猫传媒) President and New Jersey transplant Josh Hutchinson now calls Portland, and the welcoming confines of 小黄猫传媒, home.听
鈥淚 have officially driven coast to coast (Point Pleasant, New Jersey to Seaside, Oregon) and it only took me four years and three cars,鈥 said Hutchinson, citing his unusual relocation journey to Oregon.
In fall of 2023, Hutchinson enrolled at 小黄猫传媒 and plunged into student life, serving as AS小黄猫传媒 Vice President last year. He is now the student body president and wants to boldly represent the student voice on the 小黄猫传媒 Board of Directors.听
He and AS小黄猫传媒 staff engage with students every other Friday where they can provide public comments, testimonies, discuss issues and submit ideas. Students can engage with their leadership by visiting the , the Student Life webpage, or the @aspccpanthers handle on .
The Northwest Portland resident took a moment from his coffee-laden start to fall term to chat with us:
Why did you move to Portland?
Josh Hutchinson: Two main reasons: family and school. I鈥檝e always wanted to move to Portland to connect more with my family here. Also, 小黄猫传媒 genuinely has one of the best transfer programs in the country. I felt like coming out here would really be the best of both worlds.
What is the most memorable thing you did this summer?
Hutchinson: Getting to travel! I had the opportunity to attend two leadership conferences, one with Association of College Unions International (ACUI) in San Bernardino, Calif., and one with the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) in Mississippi鈥攂oth states I had never been to鈥攁s part of preparing to be the new 小黄猫传媒 Student Trustee on the 小黄猫传媒 Board of Directors for 2024-2025. The conferences focused on community building and leadership development for college student-leaders.
What degree are you working toward?
Hutchinson: I am working on an Associate of General Studies, hoping to transfer after this year with either a double major or major minor in Philosophy and Business Administration.
What career or job are you interested in?聽
Hutchinson: I plan on practicing law, and I am pretty set on either business or contracts law for now. My real dream is to practice law until I can retire, get a Ph.D. in Philosophy and become a professor.
Why did you pick 小黄猫传媒?
Hutchinson: I chose 小黄猫传媒 mainly because of how great the transfer program is. I planned on getting my bachelor鈥檚 degree from PSU originally, and through 小黄猫传媒 I was able to prepare for that (as well as figure out how to navigate college in general!) over the last two years.听
What kind of support have you received?
Hutchinson: I am literally only able to go to school because of financial aid and the 小黄猫传媒 Foundation scholarships鈥攖hey have made my whole journey possible. Beyond that, the Panther Pantry and the resource centers have gotten me through some of the busiest weeks of my life, and I will always be grateful for that. On that note, too, I am so excited to now have the opportunity to engage more with the student leaders in these departments; we’ve had some amazing conversations already.听
What would you tell others about the value of 小黄猫传媒’s student life?
Hutchinson: These are the opportunities that really make a difference. I have learned more than I even realized from just getting to be a part of AS小黄猫传媒鈥攕kills that will benefit me regardless of where I am or what kind of work I am doing. I have learned to view student government as a kind of leadership class, too, since so much of what I鈥檝e been a part of thus far has been an opportunity not only to help students, but to actually learn how to be a leader as well. Being a part of the AS小黄猫传媒 has totally changed the trajectory of my academic journey, and the support I鈥檝e received from both advisers and peers has really shaped me into the person I am today.
Why did you want to be the student president?
Hutchinson: Last year, I got to work with the AS小黄猫传媒 as vice president, and more than anything I wanted to make sure that we picked up where we left off, since last year鈥檚 team did an amazing job of getting the ball rolling and setting us up for success this year. I felt that there were definitely some improvements that needed to be made to really utilize the 鈥榮tudent trustee鈥 role, and I hope to set a good precedent and example this year.听
I鈥檝e found that I really have a passion for the work we do, and I hope that all students will be able to personally feel like we鈥檙e here for them.
What is your student government goal?
Hutchinson: We鈥檙e trying to do a lot better to reach out this year, so expect to see plenty of flyers, posters and ads with all kinds of information and engagement opportunities.
What are your favorite hobbies or interests?
Hutchinson: Honestly, my top three hobbies right now are reading, cooking and exercise鈥攎ost of my time is basically either school, work, or school-work. So exciting, I know! I am, however, trying to get into golf… is that better?
I am also very passionate about existentialist philosophy, and I would love to talk about it all day. I will talk about it all day, too, which I guess is an invitation or warning, or both.
Thank you, Josh!



