If you have spent any amount of time at Shippensburg University, you probably know Cole Pearson. In fact, Pearson is so involved that he can barely name every organization he is a member of.

When you walk across campus with Pearson, the connections he has fostered are clear.. He is not afraid to greet everyone he knows and is not afraid to be himself. Pearson sees each of his roles on campus as an extension of what he already does.  

“I go out of my way to be like, ‘Hey, how are you?’” Pearson said. “I need that connection and I enjoy that connection very much.”

Working as a Peer Anchor, chemistry tutor, and mentor for chemistry and the Wood Honors College, Pearson strongly values connection and community. Pearson emphasized he wanted to be a Peer Anchor to meet new people and leave an impact. 

“I enjoy the fostering of community incidentally, not intentionally,” Pearson said. 

Despite being a chemistry major with minors in math and German, Pearson is quite a creative. He is passionate about music and expresses that through his own radio show on WSYC, String World. Pearson also writes news stories for WSYC News, typically about internation conflict. Pearson’s passion for the arts began before his time at SU, as he was very involved in musical theater throughout high school and was the president of his high school drama club during his junior and senior years. Now, he carries the lessons he has learned in the arts into his daily life. 

“If you are afraid to do things in front of an audience, like be awkward, cringy, weird, it will be awkward, cringy and weird. So you’ve got to get past that barrier,” Pearson said. “Learning to just find comfort in what is typically very uncomfortable, or at least finding your footing on that, was what I took from it the most.”

Pearson is shockingly humble despite his hefty resume. He is not eager to boast about his achievements and even says there are no important things about him. However, he emphasizes the importance of hard work and knowledge in his life. 

“No matter how smart you are, if you don’t put the work in, you aren’t getting anywhere,” Pearson said. “I think there’s fun to be had in work.” 

Inspired by his parents, Pearson values putting effort into everything he does. He learned the true value of education during his two years working in a UPS warehouse. 

“That makes you really appreciate your time in college and the value of education,” Pearson said. “I’m generally more positive, like all I get to do is learn.”

Pearson tries to move throughout his life with a positive outlook, while also recognizing that the world is not always great. “Being positive, not in an annoying way, but ‘God, this sucks, but I’m alive,’” Pearson said. 

Pearson strives to make the most out of his education and opportunities. This past summer, he participated in a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) focused on physical chemistry at Arizona State University. This experience was not only an amazing experience, but it gave Pearson a better insight into what he wants his future to look like. 

“I learned I really love computer stuff which is huge now in chemistry,” Pearson said. “So I will probably go to get my Ph.D. somewhere in a field related to computational biochemistry, which is like using computers to develop drugs, discover proteins, discover molecules. A lot of cool stuff.” 

Another testament to Pearson’s hard work was his development of GER-190: “German Beer Culture: Products, Practices, and Perspectives.” Pearson assisted Alison Feeney, Chair of the Department of Geography and Earth Science, and David Wildermuth, Associate Professor of the Global Languages Department in developing the course. 

Pearson then took the course when it was offered in the spring of 2024. Over spring break, students had the opportunity to travel to various countries, including Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic.

Pearson also assists with Ship Votes, the on-campus organization that encourages and helps students with the processes of registering to vote and voting. Pearson tabled for the organization as much as he could and gave speeches at various events, including to the entire Wood Honors College. “It’s an important personal value type thing, I think, regardless of how you vote,” Pearson said.

Above all, Pearson values personal connection. “Cole Pearson is a great person to be around, someone who you get to meet and know you just have to keep in your inner circle,” said Sherlyn Martinez, an SU student and close friend of Pearson. “He is uplifting, positive and, most importantly, a true friend.”

Pearson spoke about how to build relationships despite awkwardness. “There’s like a barrier of awkwardness that I think I’ve just always been like completely, I wouldn’t say comfortable, but okay with entering,” Pearson said. “It prevents most people from saying hi to someone that they had a class with six months ago and maybe don’t even know their name. So I think that’s it. I’m just not forgetting people saying hello.”

If you see Cole Pearson around on the Shippensburg University campus, make sure to wave and say hi. You never know what connections you are going to be able to make.

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