We just had Club Rush and learned about different clubs on campus. The person who set this event up is the Director of Student Activities and Affairs, William Hobbs. Hobbs loves chatting with anyone who wants to know more about the events coming up and really anything about COS.

He also oversees the Student Senate, and commencement and teaches leadership classes. He shared how he wanted to work with the community he lives in and COS was a great fit for him.

When asked what he prioritizes, he shared “If you were to look in my head and see what is most important to me, I would say my family.” Hobbs is a husband, father to three children, and grandfather to a 4-year-old granddaughter. Whenever he is asked what he wants for his birthday and holidays he always says, “All I want is to spend time with my family.”

Hobbs says his faith in God is also important to him. He shared how he applies his faith to working hard, with integrity, treating people with honor and respect. “I believe this comes from all people having value and worth… being created by God.”

Born in a rural town in Texas, Hobbs moved to Columbus, Ohio for one year in 5th grade where kids made fun of his Texan accent because of saying things like “y’all” and assumed he wasn’t smart. This impacted Hobbs and pushed him to enter a spelling bee in 5th grade and won, in a way “proving them wrong.”

“I think that early on this gave me a heart for other people who were made fun of or different.” Hobbs shares that this connects to his faith as well, “if I have been given, I have a responsibility to give” and “If you were them, how would you want to be treated?”

He said his dad did well in Ohio financially but their whole family was miserable. Then they moved to the mountains of Colorado where he learned to love the outdoors even more than he had in the past. His dad bought a campground there and even though they were living off his dad’s savings account they felt truly blessed. Hobbs and his brothers did all the fun outdoor activities like rock climbing, backpacking, cross-country skiing, rafting, and fishing.

After that, his family moved to Southern California where he went to Saddleback College. He went on a mission trip with the community college to Costa Rica and met his wife who also attended Saddleback. Hobbs explained how he “learned a life lesson of where joy and contentment comes from.”

He shared how he got to know his wife well working 12 hours a day for six weeks serving the people of Costa Rica. His wife grew up in Visalia and when she graduated from Cal Poly she came back and got a job as a teacher at Washington Elementary School. Hobbs graduated from Cal Poly with a bachelor’s degree in human development. Hobbs went to Fuller Theological Seminary for a master’s degree in Arts, moved to Visalia, and got a job at Young Life.

When asked if he had anything else to share he mentioned his leadership classes where there is an “ opportunity to get involved in the Student Senate and they have a voice to represent the governance of our college here at COS.” Hobbs had nothing but good things to say about COS, “you know you are in the right place when the people you work with care about the students,” and “I look forward to my day every day at COS”.

To reach William Hobbs please click on the link that will connect you to him and student activities. https://www.cos.edu/en-us/student-life/activities-and-affairs