From serving as president of multiple student organizations, to triple majoring, to working for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, Josh Malcom has maximized the opportunities he's been afforded.

A world of opportunities

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?”