From PR to president
Black Student Union president Joshua White ’18 is ready to continue the organization's growth on Towson University’s campus
By Kyle Hobstetter on February 23, 2018

When you ask Black Student Union president Joshua White ’18 why he picked Towson University, his answer is a little different from the usual responses. The mass communications and film double major said he was drawn in by the university’s 150th anniversary marketing campaign.
“I chose Towson University, honestly, because of the marketing,” White said. “When I came onto campus it seemed really lively. Also, it was gearing up for the 150th anniversary, so it was energetic, and the marketing was very energetic, and it really reflected on the campus culture.”
For those who know the Seat Pleasant, Maryland, native, the answer isn’t that surprising — White has always been interested in media. He has even thought about working in front of the camera.
When he first came to TU, White was a psychology major. But after a year, his love of media made him realize he was suited for a different career path, and he changed his major to study both film and mass communication with a focus in public relations.
Once he switched his major, White started doing public relations/marketing for different organizations on campus. White has been involved not only with Black Student Union (BSU) but also the Council of Diverse Student Organizations (CDSO), the Office of Civic Engagement and Social Responsibility[BROKEN LINK], and the Center for Student Diversity. He also interned with TV One — a national television network located in Silver Spring.
“I’m getting the work experience I need, plus these [groups] are things that I care about,” White said. “[Public relations] is very adaptable to other industries. It has a lot of flexibility, and that’s what I was looking for.”
White admits that when he was a freshman, he was a little hesitant to get involved on campus. But as a first-generation college student, White was also a part of Towson University’s the Students Achieve Goals through Education[BROKEN LINK] (SAGE) program. SAGE program participants are assigned a peer mentor and participate in various activities that enhance academic, budget management and decision-making skills.
White’s SAGE mentor, Rachelle Johnson ’16, first introduced him to BSU. After a little bit of nudging, White finally started to attend meetings, and he was hooked. He even decided to run for the organization's board — in public relations, of course.
“I thought to myself, ‘Wow, I can really help grow this group,’” White said. “As the public relations chair, I have a great opportunity to share a relationship between the community and the organization.”
And while he enjoyed working in public relations, White’s ambition started to gnaw at him. He knew that he wanted to move up — not only in positions but also in the community and culture surrounding him.
He also wasn’t the only one expecting him to move up — as many of his BSU colleagues expected him to take over the president’s position in his senior year. It got to the point where his predecessor was asking him what he planned to do when he took office.

While White was hesitant to take the position, he looked at how BSU had progressed since his freshman year and how committed Towson University has become to student leadership. So, he decided to take a chance, and he was named BSU president for the 2017–18 academic term.
“TU has grown in student leadership and values it to a point where being a student leader is a lot of work, but it’s also very rewarding,” he said. “To lead a student organization is essentially taking a piece of that community and a piece of that culture. Hopefully it’s a culture that you love and share, and that’s really important when you feel a connection to that student organization — because then it’s hard to not to try and give it your ‘A’ game.”
During his term as BSU president, White has been focused on developing programs and initiatives through BSU that could solidify into the campus culture, like those that focus on mental health for minorities and creating a Higher Education Commission — which develops a pipeline of students going to TU, as well as fostering a relationship with students that are here and still in high school.
The Towson University BSU was founded on February 25, 1970. In those 48 years, Towson University’s African-American student population has grown to encompass over 20 percent of the total campus population. And as the African-American student population continues to grow, White wants to make sure BSU grows with it.
“Towson University is growing, and as TU grows, the BSU must grow as well,” White said. “I think that we as students only have four years, and that is a short amount of time. And the legacy we leave has to be better than the one we came into.
“As the black student population grows here at TU, which it has exponentially, BSU is going to need to adapt, change and develop to better support and better advocate for those students,” he added.
After almost four years of being involved on campus, White will graduate from TU this spring. Once a hesitant freshman, White has become a confident leader and face for one of the prominent student organizations on campus.
All it took was a little push.
“I tell people every day, getting involved is the best thing that can happen to you on TU’s campus,” White said. “If you’re not involved on TU’s campus, you can’t find your community, your niche or your group. You have to take that first step, you have to open the door. If you don’t open the door it could be a very lonely time on campus.”
The Towson University Black Student Union holds meetings every Wednesday at 5 p.m. in the University Union’s Chesapeake Rooms. BSU will also hold a special Founders Day brunch on Saturday, Feb. 24 at 2 p.m. in the Minnegan Room.
Stay up to date with BSU by following the group's Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.