When he was four years old, the future president of the Student Government Association made a contract with himself stating that after college, he would move to Los Angeles to pursue acting.
And 17 years later, Jack Hesser, a junior microbiology and botany major, plans to keep that promise.
“I’m going to do it because I don’t want four-year-old Jack to be disappointed in me. That would be the worst,” Hesser said. “He would be so pissed at me, like you don’t even understand.”
He loves his four-year-old self, and because of that, plans to spend two years in L.A. before going to graduate school or working for student affairs.
Hesser has always been fascinated by acting and even has a couple of independent movies under his belt such as “Harvey Putter and the Ridiculous Premise” and “Strange Brew.”
“I think it’d be so cool to eventually have the name recognition to make impactful documentaries and have people watch them just because of your name,” Hesser said. “People watch some of those documentaries just because Morgan Freeman narrates them.”
If Hesser had been a part of the theatre program at Ball State, he said he would not have been as involved in other leadership positions such as being the president of his fraternity, Lambda Chi Alpha, and general chair of the Homecoming Steering Committee.
However, he said his different life experiences can help him tap into different roles and characters.
Some of his experiences include traveling to 14 different countries, such as Germany and Canada.
After his freshman year at Ball State, Hesser traveled with a group of students and five American veterans to Vietnam.
“Three of [the veterans] hadn’t been back since the war, so it was cool to see their perspective,” he said.
The group of students conducted ethnographic research and published a book titled “Millennials in Vietnam.”
“I would say traveling abroad has influenced me more than anything else in terms of my cultural perspective and how I interact with people,” he said.
The opportunities he has had to meet different people with various backgrounds has allowed him to become passionate about student government.
“I’m looking forward to connecting with students and giving them an avenue for their voice,” he said.
Michelle Johnson, director of homecoming and athletic programs, worked with Hesser during homecoming, and spoke highly of his leadership skills.
“Jack is a great leader and a very positive person,” she said, “He is full of energy and is very well connected at Ball State.”
She said Hesser would be great in the role of SGA president and he presents himself in a professional yet approachable matter.
Because of this, Hesser's future goals may surprise some people.
“I don’t think many people would look at me and say, 'He is going to do something crazy.' Like no, [they say], 'He is going to go to grad school or he is going to get a job after he graduates.' I think that is what everyone assumes from me,” Hesser said. “Experiences are what make up a life. Your different, and incredible, experiences that you have, are what make life worthwhile.“
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