By: Keira Bixler
Jacob Hutchison ’24 is an active member in FBLA and a driven individual who recently spoke at the Educating for Careers Conference which is for CTE Pathway teachers with roughly 4,000 attendees.
Jacob Hutchison ‘24 has only been a Ranger for a year, but has already left a lasting impact on the Redwood community, his future, and the world.
While reflecting on his time as a Ranger thus far, Hutchison says, “My favorite part about Redwood is the community here. I have a lot of really good friends at Redwood and I have been having a great time so far.”
His experience as a Redwood student has been heavily influenced by the many activities he is involved in both on and off campus. He says, “I am involved in a lot on campus. I take a lot of hard classes, I am in AP classes and I am also a part of different clubs like FBLA and Mock Trial.”
Hutchison says, “Off campus, I am also in FBLA which has a lot of off campus work. I am the State Vice President so I do a lot of work for that which includes conferences. I just went to the Educating for Careers Conference last weekend.”
When asked who motivates him to be so active on campus, he says, “My biggest inspiration would have to be my Dad. I have always looked up to him. He is my hero. He owns a few businesses and he always motivates me to do better.”
He also says that, “What keeps me going are my friends, my family, and my future. The ‘three F’s.’ I am highly motivated by my friends because they push me to be a better person and to be nicer. My family always keeps me motivated. They are always getting on me about doing my homework and getting good grades. Finally, I am motivated by my future because I know that what I do today will affect what I do in the next 10 or 20 years.”
Hutchison says, “My future plans are to go get my bachelors degree in Business Administration from preferably an Ivy League University like the University of Pennsylvania. Then, I would like to go and get my Juries Doctorate from U Penn which is my dream school. Then, to go and practice law either in the corporate or criminal sector.”
He believes that his childhood has influenced his current self greatly. He says, “Ever since I was really young, my family has traveled with me all across the world. I believe that this has contributed a lot to who I am today because going on adventures and trying new things has turned me into the confident person I am today. If I had not gone on these adventures and traveled across the world, like for example, all the way to Dubai on the complete opposite side of the world, I would not know what it is like to take risks and to take initiative.”
Photo Courtesy of Hutchison
Hutchison has been working towards this goal for most of his life and took a major stride this weekend. He says, “I attended the Educating for Careers Conference which is an adult conference for all CTE teachers across California. There were about 4,000 attendees and I was invited to be the student speaker for this conference. I got to give a 6 minute speech in front of this entire audience and it was one of the best things I have ever done in my life… It was a remarkable experience.”
A lot of preparation went into this major moment for Hutchinson. While sharing his daily routine he says, “I usually wake up at about 4:30 AM and I get ready to go to the gym. I workout at Crossfit West Visalia and I’ll go to the 5 AM class which goes from 5-6 AM.”
He also says, “Once I am done with that, I go back home and I start to get ready for school and leave the house by 7:45 AM…I only have four classes on campus so I actually leave during or after lunch depending on if I hang out with my friends or not. On Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, I have COS classes.”
When asked what motivates him to maintain this schedule, Hutchison says, “I love leading others because I love to make a difference in other people’s lives. I love to see that look of accomplishment in other people’s faces when, for example, at FBLA when they walk on the stage and they get that 1st Place award. I love knowing that I contributed to them feeling that greatness.”
Redwood culture has shaped him in a variety of ways. He says, “I have not always been the most social person. I used to be quite a bit of an introvert; especially when I was at Golden West. I would not talk to anyone. I was always too nervous to try and make friends, but I ended up overcoming that and now I am a little more of an extrovert, still a little bit reserved around people I don’t know, but I do like to make new friends a lot more now.”
He says that, “Redwood culture has shaped me to be a very friendly and team oriented person.”
When regarding Redwood culture, he says, “Redwood is one big community and I absolutely love this school because everybody works together no matter what. It has shaped me to be a very good team worker whether that’s in teams on team projects, at school, or on leadership teams in FBLA and Mock Trial.”
Going into his senior year, Hutchison has a goal for the legacy he wants to leave at Redwood High School. He says, “I personally don’t want people to really know things about me, I want people to know what I have done… I want people to know that I have made a difference in other people’s lives. I don’t care if people know my name, I don’t care if people see me as a role model, I just want people to know that I have made a difference.”
He finishes by saying that, “I want to leave a legacy that shows that hard work can get you good things. So, if you put in the effort, the time, and the dedication, good things will happen to you and you don’t always have to have connections. You can build whatever you want from the start.”
Jacob Hutchison, ’24
“My favorite quote was actually from a keynote speaker this weekend. His name was John Paul Gonzales and he said ‘Fame is what we do for ourselves. Greatness is what we do for others.’”
Tags: humans of redwood, keira bixler, ranger of the week, rangers, Redwood, redwood gigantea, redwood high school, redwood journalism, redwood rangers, visalia ca