Fresh off of his win with Jess Davidson in the USG Presidential Race, not to mention being named a Truman Scholar, junior Cam Hickert from Colorado Springs, double major in physics and international studies, has remained refreshingly humble.
“I was just really lucky,” he said, after recalling how he was abashed to find his picture all over campus screens after he was named a Truman Scholar. “I didn’t really expect to get either; I guess lightning struck twice.”
Whether it was luck or not, Hickert certainly had a whirlwind of a month, finding out he won the scholarship and was elected USG president within two weeks. However, each was a long and hard-earned process that stretched back much further.
The presidential race was first brought up by his running mate Davidson during their sophomore year. Then, while both students were studying abroad earlier this year, they discussed it again to put a potential plan into action.
For Hickert, the idea and motivation to run was solidified throughout his DU career. After being on USG his sophomore year as secretary of communication, he realized that he really enjoyed connecting with other people and organizations. However, he also began to see people being siloed into different groups that became isolated from one another, due to both personal and institutional reasons. The best way to bridge the different “silos,” he decided, was to enact institutional change. A more closely connected and unified student body, as well as one that has more of a voice and kinetic force on campus, is Hickert’s ultimate goal.
“We could do so much more to be a more active, vocal community, whether it’s hockey tickets or sexual assault prevention and awareness. It’s about creating a culture of pushing things forward,” he said.
The Truman Scholarship application began in Fall Quarter and stretched for a good portion of the school year. Nearly 700 students from over 290 colleges and universities competed for the scholarship.
“The application process was really tough,” said Hickert. “I’m lucky that I had Nick Stubler (fellow finalist for the Truman Scholarship and candidate for USG president) to go through that process with me. Having him to talk it out with was a life saver. I couldn’t have asked for a better person to go into that process with.”
The scholarship is awarded to those with leadership potential and a passion for public service, with the recipient receiving $30,000 toward their graduate education. In order to receive the award, the student must agree to spend three of the seven years after they finish graduate school working in a public service field.
“I hope to be able to combine science and international studies in some way for my public service. They give you a lot of time to decide, awarding the scholarship your junior year of college, which is nice,” said Hickert.
Hickert is also a part of the DU Debate Union, Beta Theta Pi, the DU Society of Physics Students and PLP. As for what motivates him to participate in so many activities, he had several explanations.
“First of all, I’m awful at saying no. I’ve gotten better, but I’m still pretty bad at it. But that’s the other thing—it’s so hard to say no when cool people are telling you about all of the cool things they are doing. It’s a kind of FOMO [fear of missing out] in a way; there’s just so many really awesome people and things going on around campus,” he said.
He juggles the intense workload with plenty of late nights (as many of us do), as well as another interesting trick to keep himself going.
“I listen to motivational YouTube videos. When you’re pulling an all-nighter or just struggling to finish up your work, they just help to get you through.”
