It looks like GSBA has called in some help. Jacob Mitchell was appointed this semester as the new Inter-Club Council chairperson. Being put in this position in his first year at Guilford after transferring from Surry Community College, Mitchell is excited to be a part of the team leading the campus’ extracurricular life, and to build on the leadership experience he’s getting with Guilford Christian Ministry.
Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself.
A: I am technically a junior here at Guilford. I did a bunch of credit stuff in my community college. I’m from Dobson, North Carolina. I major in religious studies and psychology. I am part of the ELF (Ethical Leadership Fellows) scholarship program here at Guilford. I am on the GCM (Guilford Christian Ministry) leadership team. And I am the Inter-Club Council chair.
Q: Tell us a little bit about your hometown.
A: Dobson is home to the largest chicken plant in North Carolina. But we are probably the smallest town you’ll probably find. I think we’re five miles across, but I love it there. I love the people. One of the reasons I came to Guilford is because it reminded me a lot of Dobson. You can connect to everybody. Community is a strong aspect of the place and I really like knowing everybody and seeing everybody. Everywhere you go there is a familiar face.
Q: So community must mean a lot to you.
A: Absolutely. I think community is essential to any person. If you don’t have community, then you’re not really living to the fullest.
Q: What made you want to become the Inter-Club Council chair for Guilford College?
A: I think that the biggest reason why I wanted to do it is I wanted to have a really involved position on campus and I saw with my past experiences that I thought I could bring a lot to the position. Nobody’s been in (the position), so to give new ideas to promote (what) would hopefully help student life and club life on campus as a whole. I had a lot of ideas, because I heard a lot of concerns from students. I also heard concerns from admins and teachers about some of the issues. And before I even thought about the position, I knew it was available. I thought I could really do something with this but I had no way of doing it. Then, I was approached about the position, I interviewed, and thankfully, I got the position, and a lot of things I was hoping to do are happening. And I’m really excited and thankful for that.
Q: Take us through the highs and lows of this new role for you.
A: The highs are definitely in the community meetings, seeing people excited about the work that I’m doing about the point system (for campus clubs and organizations). I would say that the biggest low is it’s a lot to deal with, but it’s worth it. People are involved, are asking questions, and really care about their clubs. These are the things that I was hoping for. The other day, I was speaking to somebody and they said, ‘Do you know who came up with this point system?’ They didn’t know it was me, so I was like, ‘I don’t.’ They came back and said, ‘Well, whoever came up with it, it’s a dumb idea.’ This is actually funny, because the system isn’t supposed to please everybody, but rather it’s the best decision for everybody, at least in my opinion, and it seems to be the best way objectively.
Q: Tell us a little more about your leadership position in Guilford Christian Ministry.
A: This semester, I have been put on the GCM leadership team as the communications person. I run our Instagram trying to spread the good news that we share on the medium that seems to be taking over the world, social media. It’s good to collaborate with people about the thing that I really care about most, which is my faith. It’s good to work with people and see how much they love Jesus and just sharing the love with them, but also with others, and hopefully, they get to hear the good news like we’ve heard.
Q: For someone who is interested in coming to Guilford College, what would you say to that individual?
A: I would say to that individual, Do you know who you are? If they say yes, great. It’s the perfect place for you to plug in. If they say no, that’s also great. We have so many opportunities for you to find out who you truly are, no matter who that person is. We want you to be fully engaged with who you are. So that way, you can fully engage in the community around you. And I think Guilford College provides that more than any other place I’ve seen.
