Student Spotlight - Calvin Emerson

After feeling cooped up at home because of the COVID-19 pandemic for too long, Calvin Emerson was looking for a fresh start. A natural storyteller, he decided to study Journalism at EvCC. But Emerson’s time at EvCC extended beyond Journalism classes and writing for the school newspaper, The Clipper. He was recently elected as a Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) honor society regional officer for the greater Northwest. “While I’m still working on what my exact plans will be,” Emerson said, “I can say with complete confidence that I will seek to encourage both individual chapters and PTK as a whole to engage in new practices that will improve the organization’s accessibility. I want there to be more of those little things that, for a neurotypical person, may go unnoticed but can mean a world of difference for those with disabilities like myself.”

Tell us a little bit about yourself. 

Well, I'm a northwesterner at heart, but I was actually born in L.A. I moved to Oregon when I was 4, because my parents wanted a more peaceful life for me and my new brother. I often wonder how my life would have gone had I stayed in California, because once I moved to Oregon, I ended up an outcast at my new school. I didn’t have friends, only my imagination, and it was the start of a mental health struggle that lasted my entire childhood. I’m grateful that I got therapy as a teenager, as it set me on the happier, more socially confident path I’m on now. 

These days, I’m a proud advocate for both the Neurodiverse and LGBT+ communities, an aspiring writer who loves to tell stories, and a big fan of all things movies and music, thanks to my dad. I’m naturally anxious and clumsy, but I have a strong sense of empathy and motivation that keeps me going through all the tough moments.

Why did you choose EvCC? 

When I chose EvCC, I was looking for a fresh start. The pandemic kept me locked in my childhood home for far too long, and I was desperate to move into a new frontier in my life. That’s what EvCC represented to me. Every time that I looked out to the mountain range from the Index Lawn, I felt like this was the place where I could find my new beginning. Since moving into Cedar Hall, life hasn’t been perfect, but it has been better. 

Why did you decide to study journalism? What are your educational and career goals? 

As I mentioned earlier, I love to tell stories. I always wanted a way to express myself creatively as a kid, but I was never good at drawing and I wasn’t confident enough in myself to stick with performing. For some time, I gave up on this dream, but then as a sophomore in high school, I put pen to paper in my own free time and something just clicked. The floodgates had opened, and I would stay up late into the night just coming up with cool ideas, short tales, and philosophical musings. It was great for my mental health, but it didn’t feel like something I could show to the world. There was no cohesion, just words upon words. 

Journalism seemed like the way to tame the writing beast that was now running wild in my head. It satisfied my desire not just to write in a meaningful way, but to get out into the world and learn more about it, which sounded incredibly appealing when I was stuck within lockdown. I hope to be part of a professional newsroom and be given opportunities to tell the stories that might have been left in the dark. That’s the power of good journalism. It shines a light on what matters most. 

What do you enjoy writing about most for EvCC’s student newspaper, The Clipper? 

Well, full disclaimer, I’ll be talking about what I did like about writing for The Clipper. My time with our student newspaper is over, I served my time in the organization and it was time for me to move onto my next big thing. Looking back in retrospect, I really appreciated being given the opportunity to put myself out there, to go digging for stories in those strange nooks and crannies that not every student notices when they walk around campus. I got to interview great people, go to great places, and see my community college from a new, fascinating perspective. It was a great first experience as a reporter and, fingers crossed, it won’t be my last. 

Describe the best experience you've had at EvCC. 

For as much as I’ve appreciated those moments where hard, academic work pays off or I get to interact with my community on-campus, the best experience we’re honestly the ones I got to share with friends. My past has made me appreciate every relationship that I get to develop, and I’m so grateful that I both got to make new friends and spend quality time with them that I’ll never forget. It’s going to be tough to say goodbye to so many of them. To my friends Kat, Boston, Chase, Katie, Dakota, Zach, Jaylynn, Gerard, Kitana, Kate, Izzy, Seth, Sophie, and Emma, if you’re reading this, know that I treasured every moment I spent with you. All of you made me a better person, genuinely. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Congratulations on getting elected as a Phi Theta Kappa honor society regional officer for the greater Northwest! What motivated you to seek this role, and what does it involve?

Well, first, thank you. Secondly, to answer your question, it started as a purely pragmatic thing. You need to maintain a 3.5 GPA to be a Phi Theta Kappa member, and when I joined, I was sitting exactly on a 3.5 and was in the midst of taking an algebra class. If you know me well, you know I prefer to write rather than solve equations, so without knowing for certain whether I’d have a 3.5 next quarter, I thought that my days with PTK were numbered. 

With that in mind, I wanted to work on big projects as soon as I could, so I could leave a strong impact in the shortest amount of time possible. When the opportunity to run a candidacy for Division IV Vice President opened up, it seemed like exactly what I was looking for. Something incredibly impactful that I could start doing right away. However, as time went on, and the challenge of actually running became part of my reality, I had to stop and consider why I was doing this. What do I actually stand for as a candidate? 

Ultimately, the answer was simple. I had already worked to advance issues of accessibility, equality, and mental wellness, so if I was going to be given this platform, I should just continue down the path I was already walking. So, at Catalyst, I ran on a promise to support and improve access for those of all disabilities, and I was lucky enough to find that it resonated with the people. As the new Division IV Vice President, I will be keeping that promise with every action I take as part of the organization. 

What do you hope to accomplish as a PTK regional officer? 

While I’m still working on what my exact plans will be, I can say with complete confidence that I will seek to encourage both individual chapters and PTK as a whole to engage in new practices that will improve the organization’s accessibility. I want there to be more of those little things that, for a neurotypical person, may go unnoticed but can mean a world of difference for those with disabilities like myself. 

Who has helped you succeed at EvCC? What did that person do to help you?

I want to specifically thank my journalism teacher, Mr. Wahl. He personally help me create a clear academic path forward during the uncertainty of the pandemic, He helped me to learn the proper etiquette and professionalism that is expected of a journalist, and he gave me confidence in myself, making me believe that I could still be the best version of myself, regardless of the dire circumstances. So, cheers to you, Mr. Wahl. You’ve been a genuine inspiration to me, and I’ll never forget you.

What motivates you to succeed?

To be honest, a sense of lost time. I spent so much of my childhood unable to do great things because I was so heavily weighed down by my own doubts and anxieties. Now that those weights have been lifted off my shoulders, and I have regrets about who I could have been when I was younger, I refuse to have those happen again. I take every opportunity I can to grow as a person, and I never take any of my accomplishments for granted. I promised myself that I’ll always be moving forward and, so far, I’ve been keeping my promise. 

What advice do you have for new students?

Well, I’d tell them to do what many of us couldn’t as the college was closed: Make the most of every day you have as a student. Not just in your academic work, but in your extracurricular activities. With every choice that is presented to you, find a way to take it that extra mile, and sometimes you’ll find those great, surprising moments that make life worth living. My dream picture of what EvCC was going to be like never fully came true, but in that dream’s place are so many wonderful, unexpected memories that wouldn’t have been possible without me actively seeking them out. Not everything went as I had planned it to, but it was all so worth it in the end.

Anything you want to add? 

There’s only one thing left to say: Remember to keep your grades up, be engaged in your community, and be kind to the person you see in the mirror each morning. Oh, and consider joining Phi Theta Kappa. We’ve always got room for another member.