You may know him as a star of Olivet’s cross country and track teams, but he has also been bestowed the unofficial title of a “Guitar Hero Legend” by some of his close friends. This junior multimedia communication major has much more to uncover than meets the eye.
Josh Scharpenberg has been running for a total of ten years and counting. He originally joined his middle school cross country team in sixth grade, and then he joined the Track Team his freshman year of high school. Running intrigued Josh at the beginning of his career because he saw the healthy lifestyle runners lived and wanted to live that way as well.
Unaware of the challenges that came with running, his years of running were not always enjoyable. Josh shared that at multiple points in his career, he had considered quitting. Even coming into college, Josh was unsure if he would continue. However, the benefits outweighed the downfalls. His favorite part of the sport is being a part of the team. All the members on the cross country and track teams are encouraging and rejoice with each other in their successes. Josh also states that “accomplishing a personal record [he] never would have thought [he] could ever achieve” is another rewarding part of running.
Running in college differs greatly from running in high school. There is more competition and intensity, and less room to “fake it ‘till you make it.” Josh explains that in his experience, the workouts are more extensive, and the races are longer.
Despite the greater difficulty, Josh still enjoys running in college more than in high school. His teammates are what make the team better. The team is more intentional with one another, which makes the team atmosphere better than Josh’s experience in high school.
Under the running gear is a music enthusiast. Josh expressed his deep passion for music. He enjoys listening to music of every genre; he especially loves finding new genres or artists. If you find a day where Josh hasn’t listened to music, you might want to ask him if he forgot who he was. Sharing the same taste in music with Josh will guarantee an instant friendship.
Speaking of music, Josh is also the secret king of Guitar Hero. When asked about a fact about Josh that most people wouldn’t know, both Jacob Fryer and Nate Mayo answered that he is a “Guitar Hero Legend,” Mayo said.
In the fall of 2019, Olivet had a Rock-N-Glow Lawn Party. The bright colors, flashing lights, dancing into the sunset, and music for hours was quite an experience. Little did the event staff know that this would turn into Josh’s favorite memory at Olivet. Those who don’t know Josh might be surprised by this, but now knowing about Josh’s love for music, it makes perfect sense. Josh, as well as most of Olivet’s student body, hope for another Silent Disco in the near future.
Taking and creating videos has been a passion of Josh’s for a while. It is no surprise that Josh was attracted to the multimedia communication program at Olivet. He had visited Olivet in high school during a Purple and Gold Day and met Dr. Heather McLaughlin, Professor Brian Utter, and Professor Rob Rodewald when touring the Communication department. He is now in his third year studying multimedia communication and has a concentration in TV and Video.
Unsure of exactly what he wants to do when he graduates, Josh hopes to work in TV or Video production. He hopes to work on a team to create encouraging content and integrate his faith in his work and in the workplace.
