For many teenagers, there is no bigger decision than the college decision. Jesse Tompkins \u201920 was not an exception, but he faced an even more significant choice as he prepared to start the next phase of his education.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I came to Furman, I decided I was going to be open about my sexuality,\u201d said Tompkins. \u201cI was not open about it in high school, and I was very surprised at how I was embraced on this campus and how I could feel at home even with that part of myself exposed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Three years later, Tompkins is the first openly gay president in the 49-year history of the Furman Student Government Association.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t want that to be the only thing I\u2019m remembered (for) as president, but I\u2019m very proud to have that identity and represent that group,\u201d Tompkins said. \u201cSo much of having a good experience in college is having that feeling of belonging that I\u2019ve luckily been able to have \u2014 but a lot of people don\u2019t unless they find their communities.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tompkins knew that firsthand after a high school experience he described as less than ideal. Searching for community, he discovered Professor of Philosophy Sarah Worth\u2019s Philosophy 101 course. Worth became Tompkins\u2019 advisor, mentor and confidant.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was raised very conservatively,\u201d Tompkins said. \u201cWhen I took that class, my mind was just kind of blown thinking about ways of thinking about what\u2019s right and wrong and about God and classic philosophical things I\u2019d never considered. I left my first day thinking, \u2018I\u2019m going to major in this,\u2019 and I declared that semester.\u201d<\/p>\n
Student government, meanwhile, is nothing new for Tompkins, who was the student body president of both his middle and high schools.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven back in middle school, I\u2019ve always had a big voice, and I like having my voice heard,\u201d he said. \u201cI think I had this realization I could use my voice to help people. I\u2019ve always had a good ability to talk to adults, which was helpful especially in middle school and high school.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tompkins served as class president his sophomore year at Furman, spearheading an effort to set hammock poles up around campus. But being elected SGA president was a special thrill and one he didn\u2019t count on until the votes were tallied.<\/p>\n
\u201cI always get very nervous during the campaign season because I\u2019m never 100 percent sure, but I\u2019m also very competitive, so I had to tell myself I was going to win or I don\u2019t think I would have tried hard enough,\u201d he said. \u201cMy slogan was, \u2018Say yessy to Jesse,\u2019 which is kind of cheesy, but it worked, I think.\u201d<\/p>\n
As for his goals, Tompkins said he plans to conduct a student survey to help shape his priorities. Even before gathering his classmates\u2019 ideas, however, he knows he\u2019d like to empower everyone on student government to pursue personal projects.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur SGA gets caught up with this idea that our only job is to allocate money for new clubs and manage budgets of clubs,\u201d Tompkins said. \u201cOne of my goals is to make jobs on council more purposeful, because I think people come in very passionate and then the job descriptions don\u2019t give them much to work with.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another objective is streamlining and improving the campus transportation system.<\/p>\n
\u201cRight now, it\u2019s scattered among different organizations \u2026 We\u2019re looking to make it more sustainable and more accessible, too, because I think the campus shuttle service right now is\u00a0not accessible to all students,\u201d he said, referring to wheelchair accessibility.\u00a0\u201cSo that\u2019s something I would like to see changed.\u201d<\/p>\n
A Hollingsworth Scholar, Tompkins spent the summer of 2019 interning in Furman\u2019s Office of Student Involvement and Inclusion while conducting undergraduate research on the \u201cphilosophy of taste,\u201d which delves into the pleasure people derive from looking at food they\u2019re not actually eating. His final year as an undergraduate will be focused on completing a philosophy degree and leading the SGA.<\/p>\n
As for his political career, Tompkins said it won\u2019t extend past graduation.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy passion is higher ed administration,\u201d he said. \u201cI want to provide students with a sense of belonging, because I\u2019ve felt that so much at Furman.\u201d<\/p>\n