By Harper Spires – [email protected] – Contributing Writer
Josh Owen remembers early mornings, hot and humid days, along with a few late nights while growing up on a flower farm in Saxapahaw.
The 2013 – 2014 vice president of the Student Government association and this year’s president of Sigma Nu helped out where he could, buthis mother ran the business and did most of the work.
Owen, a senior economics student, said his responsibilities as vice president of SGA include “voting in the event of a tie, making sure meetings run efficiently, that senators are completing their tasks and that there is effective communication between the executives and senators.”
When asked what drew him to these two different leadership positions, Owen explained it was because of his past experiences with the university and Sigma Nu.
“I was also asked by past leaders to consider these influential positions, and without their prompting, I probably never would have applied,” he said.
Owen said he originally joined SGA just to see what it was like, and if he could do well in it. Now, his goals are oriented toward making SGA a better organization that more students appreciate and would want to join.
On a broader scale, Owen said his major political interests lie in social welfare, foreign aid and economic issues. Expanding upon these interests, he said he would love to be able to use his economic training and work in development locally, nationally or around the world. If that doesn’t work out, Owen also is attracted to the idea of going into business.
It is clear that Owen cares deeply about having a strong sense of community. He describes his favorite thing about UNCA as “the ability I, and students, have to excel and be recognized in our departments because of the small class sizes and close communications with professors.”
“I really like walking into a classroom, and recognizing at least five or six people I know well,” he said.
Owen starts his undergrad research soon, and he said this sense of community really hits home.