The first time Ethan Bulthuis stepped foot onto the campus of Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Ill., he felt a deep sense of peace and he knew that it was exactly where he needed to be. Since then, he has honed his skills in multimedia communication and built a wonderful and supportive community on the grounds of this campus.
Hailing all the way from Cerro Gordo, Ill., Bulthuis came from a sarcastic family with a mother, a father, and two younger sisters. Growing up, he was able to accomplish many things, including being the captain of his school’s Scholastic Bowl Team, and although they weren’t successful in the traditional sense, he still has fond memories from that experience. After that, he came to Olivet and was ready to start thinking about his future in the field of multimedia communication.
Bulthuis is incredibly skilled in the department of media, but this isn’t his only area of expertise. He is also quite gifted when it comes to building machines as well. In the fall of 2019, he said that he and his father, who both share an interest in firearms, tried their hand at constructing one of their own. Together they were able to build a lightweight, semi-automatic, AR-15-style rifle. Samuel Rockman, a close personal friend also shared that Bulthuis constructed his own computer through which he was able to build relationships within the gaming community.
This community, along with the one that he built at Olivet are both incredibly important to Bulthuis. He feels that he is very lucky to have been able to create strong bonds in the gaming community without ever having met face to face, but he is also deeply grateful for the conversations and moments he has shared with friends and professors on Olivet’s campus. Bulthuis shared that some of his fondest memories on this campus were times spent laughing and talking with roommates, and those are the things that he will miss the most when he graduates next December.
As Bulthuis looks to the future, he isn’t entirely sure what the next few years of his life hold. Being a multimedia communication major, there are many paths that he could take, but he does hope to be able to pursue a career in web development or graphic design. When close friend and roommate Samuel Rockman thinks about his friend’s future, there is one thing that he is certain of, that no matter where Bulthuis ends up, or what he is doing, he will be extremely successful.
Bulthuis gives a lot of credit to his hardships in life being one of his biggest motivators. He details that struggles with depression and apathy have given him a lot to overcome, but they have also been a driving force in his life. He knows that he would not be who he is today without those parts of his story.
With a plethora of knowledge in multimedia and web development, a supportive community both at Olivet and online, and a few other tricks up his sleeve, Ethan Bulthuis has a bright future ahead of him. He might not know exactly where he is headed, but him and his friends are assured that it will be a great journey.
“No matter where Ethan ends up or what he is doing, I’m certain that he is going to be a success”
Samuel Rockman (Friend/roommate)
