By Faith Price
Steven Hobbs, Aleut from Kingston, Washington, just completed his bachelor’s degree in accounting and accepted a job at Amazon.com as a financial analyst.
This financially-savvy Coug says his biggest challenge as a student was trying to cover his costs without a ton of loans or burdening his parents.
“I decided to join the Washington Army National Guard my freshmen year and that has helped me a great deal with paying for school,” said Hobbs. “I highly suggest it to anyone in a similar situation.”
While his parents were likely pleased with him making that effort, his choice of college may have been a bitter pill to swallow.
“My father went to UW and I wanted to be rebellious,” jokes Hobbs about his college selection process. “Just kidding, I toured WSU as a junior in high school and instantly fell in love. The community and campus were the perfect fit.”
During his time at WSU, Hobbs played intramural sports and was a very active member of his fraternity, holding multiple leadership positions including president. Sigma Nu had a very positive impact on his success as a student.
“Despite what the media says, I wouldn’t have achieved anywhere near the GPA I did if it weren’t for my fraternity’s scholarship standards,” said Hobbs. “Older brothers helped me with coursework when I was an underclassmen, and recently graduated brothers helped me network and find a job as an upperclassmen. It also taught me to give back to the community through numerous community service events and philanthropies.”
Hobbs advises freshman likewise to engage on campus to get the most out of their college career.
“Get involved as much as you can in registered student organizations, whether it is a fraternity, sorority, or academic club, get involved. More importantly, HOLD LEADERSHIP POSITIONS IN YOUR CLUB,” emphasized Hobbs. “These positions are the best way for employers to rate you above your peers in looking for a job or internship.”
In the end, Hobbs greatly enjoyed his choice to attend Washington State University.
“The community is incredibly inclusive and every single student is a die-hard Coug fan.”