Tuesday, November 14, 2023

Media Contact:
Jeff Hopper | Communications Coordinator | 405-744-1050 | jeff.hopper@okstate.edu

As a high school junior in Dripping Springs, Texas, Josh Malcom wasn’t sure what college
he wanted to attend or what he wanted to study. However, on a spring break trip to
Stillwater, an opportunity presented itself that he felt compelled to take.

Born in Maryland, he moved to Austin, Texas, when he was five. A kid who was used
to a big city environment grew enamored with the quieter, smaller atmosphere of Stillwater
and Oklahoma State University and experienced first hand the Spears School of Business’
motto, Power of Personal.

“It might sound cheesy, but it really was about the ‘Power of Personal’,” Malcom said.
“I toured UT Austin and Texas A&M and they just felt massive, and I felt like a number
there. Then I took a visit to OSU and knew this was the right place.”

The choice to attend OSU was part of a much larger mantra that Malcom adopted during
high school. As a timid and reserved teenager, Malcom challenged himself to push outside
of his comfort zone and pursue opportunities, large and small.

Malcom arrived on the Stillwater campus in the fall of 2020, and was part of a unique
freshman class that had to experience college in a much different way than most due
to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, he saw this as an opportunity and, along with some
of his classmates, started the Spears Freshman Community early in his sophomore year.

“I remember what it was like being ‘forcibly’ secluded from my fellow freshman and
the experiences and connections that I had to make in a much different way,” Malcom
said. “So, some fellow Spears Scholar Leaders and I decided to create a student organization
that would provide opportunities for freshmen to meet, connect and network with each
other, faculty and staff.”

During his time at OSU, the senior has been president of a few organizations, including
the Sports Management Club and Spears Ambassadors. The latter of which Malcom tabs
as the most impactful, for himself and others.

The Spears Ambassadors are current students dedicated to engaging with prospective
students and promoting all of the opportunities available as an OSU Cowboy in Spears
Business. The organization allows Malcom to pay forward the amazing experience he
had as a prospective student. 

“You never know if you’re going to be that connection that sways a person to come
to OSU,” Malcom said. “I remember the ambassador I met with when I visited and how
influential she was in making my decision, and I hope that I can be that person for
someone else that visits OSU and Spears.”

Academically, the native Texan will graduate in May 2024 with a triple major in management,
marketing and international business with concentrations in sports and nonprofit management,
an opportunity that he identified and pursued as a means to fully experience his areas
of interest and expand his employment possibilities after graduation.

Malcom has also pursued internship opportunities that have made a profound impact
on his time as a student at OSU and beyond. He’s interned with a foster care nonprofit
called Austin Angels, helped recruit volunteers for the National MS Society and recently
delved into sports operations with the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee in Colorado
Springs.

“While I have a job lined up, I don’t know that I’d say I know what I want to do completely,
post-graduation,” Malcom said. “However, I do know that I want it to be impactful
to myself and others.”

Malcom plans to continue his work with the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee after
graduation as a sport operations specialist, a job that would seem to be an ideal
fit for his skills and knowledge.

His current career path has also presented the opportunity to work for the 2024 Summer
Olympic Games in Paris. While this opportunity is not confirmed yet, Malcom is very
excited at the prospect of it coming to fruition.

“If you would’ve told me a year ago that I would be working full-time for the U.S.
Olympic Committee and possibly have the opportunity to work at the Olympic Games in
Paris, I wouldn’t have believed you at all,” Malcom said. “I still can’t believe it.”

When asked if he would recognize the freshmen version of himself, Malcom paused, cracked
a small grin and simply said, “I don’t think I would.” However, he reflects with a
perspective that many aspire to, that the past version of himself had to exist to
serve as a foundation for his future self to build upon.

“The word growth is the perfect way to describe my time at OSU,” Malcom said. “I came
in as a timid high school kid and pushed myself to get out of my comfort zone. There
was an older version of myself that wouldn’t have been able to succeed in the roles
that I’m in now, but all the opportunities I’ve taken and embraced have truly changed
me for the positive in so many ways.

“It really is up to each person what they get out of their time here. We’re afforded
so many opportunities and are spending a lot of money to be here, why not maximize
those opportunities and that investment?”