A life in public service beckons

Through laser sharp focus, solid relationship building, and a substantial amount of pluck, Cameron Hudson created opportunities for himself at Rowan University. Now, it’s time to assist—and advocate for—others, he says.

“I always want to put myself in situations where others benefit,” says Hudson, who earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Rowan University’s College of Humanities & Social Sciences on Friday, May 15.

“I want to change public policies to help poor communities. I want to influence the hearts and minds of people who have the power to make changes.”

Hudson is embarking on a path to do just that. Currently an intern in the Camden office of U.S. Sen. Cory A. Booker, he’s looking to work for the Democratic National Committee on the 2016 presidential campaign before enrolling in law school. In Booker’s office, an opportunity he relishes, Hudson is seeing firsthand the ins and outs of serving the needs of constituents at the grassroots level.

“It’s rewarding,” says Hudson, who assists staff members with constituent casework, community outreach, and community events throughout South Jersey, working under 2009 Rowan political science alumnus William Moen, Jr., who directs the office, and case worker Maisha Scudder.

“I’m learning about the problems people have every day, including areas like veterans’ affairs. We work with agencies to assist our constituents. Talking to constituents is the best part of the job. Each day, the greatest reward is being able to try to help them.”

‘This is an opportunity to create another opportunity’

Prior to joining Booker’s office, Hudson was an unpaid intern with the Camden County Democratic Committee and Congressman Donald Norcross. At times, he’d work 10 hours a day--or more--in the office with the hope that his dedication would be noticed…and lead to other opportunities.

“I’d stay past the time I was supposed to leave,” says Hudson, whose duties included grassroots organizing, voter outreach, campaigning, coalition building and some marketing. Additionally, he organized a multi-county food drive to benefit the South Jersey Food Bank.

“I worked all through winter break. I thought, ‘This is an opportunity to create another opportunity. I’m not leaving the Camden County Democrats until I find something else.’”

Hudson, who doesn’t have a car, takes the bus or the Rowan shuttle to Camden to Booker’s office before heading to his next job as a vivarium animal caretaker at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University.

Finding focus, confidence

But he has kept up his campus involvement, something that has been vitally important to him since he entered the University’s EOF/MAP (Educational Opportunity Fund/Maximizing Academic Potential) Pre-College Institute (PCI) in the summer of 2009. The program, he says, helped him find focus, confidence—and his voice.

A six-week residential orientation program, PCI helps eligible students transition to college through coursework, structured study periods, orientation sessions, social activities and community building.

To Hudson, admittedly an average at best student at Bridgeton High School, EOF/MAP seemed like boot camp.

“We had two courses each day and then five hours of structured study,” he says. “We couldn’t have our cell phones. It was different from anything I experienced in high school.

“But it gave me a chance to start over,” he continues. “It challenged me in ways I never had been challenged before. It taught me to embrace the person I am. It taught me discipline. EOF/MAP made me who I am.”

Extraordinary mentors

Through PCI, Hudson discovered he had a talent for public speaking. He received the Most Inspired/Motivational Student Award from the EOF/MAP program, presenting a moving program-ending speech that left Penny McPherson, EOF/MAP director and assistant vice president of academic enrichment, impressed.

“Oh my goodness, he did such a wonderful job,” McPherson recalls. “All of his peers rallied behind him.

“He is a passionate speaker. He’s not afraid to be a representative of something he believes in. During his years at Rowan, the biggest changes I’ve seen in him have been maturity and confidence.”

Hudson credits that maturation to his Rowan mentors—a cadre of caring, inspiring professionals who pushed him to work hard in the classroom and develop his talents. McPherson, Dean of Students/Vice President for Student Life Richard Jones, Assistant Vice President for Student Diversity James Gaymon, EOF/MAP counselor Michael Whiting, and many of his professors had a profound impact on him, Hudson says.

“I’ve had so many extraordinary mentors. They’ve given me great advice, helped me find the right major, and assisted me in finding scholarships and financial aid,” he says. “They had the vision to see where I was and to help guide me in the right direction.”

Hudson’s resume is brimming with achievements that include the W.E.B. DuBois Most Achieved EOF Student Award, the Barack Obama Leadership Award, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Most Achieved Student Award, the Arturo Schomburg Academic Excellence Award from the Dr. Harley E. Flack Mentoring Program, and the Excellence in Diversity Award for Student Activism, presented by Rowan’s Senate Diversity Committee.

‘A passion for giving back, not just looking forward’

On campus, he served as freshman class president for the Student Government Association, was vice president of the Council of Africana Studies and founded Students United for Mentorship and Service. Also a peer mentor for the Dr. Harley E. Flack Mentoring Program, Hudson is a certified substitute teacher and has subbed in classrooms in both Gloucester and Camden counties.

While he enjoys working with youngsters in the classroom, Hudson wants to serve people of all ages in the political realm, he says. He has a keen interest in attending Rutgers School of Law-Newark, where, in a dual program, he could earn his juris doctorate and his Master of Science degree in global affairs.

“I want to go back and serve the City of Bridgeton, but I also have an interest in international law and global studies. I want to see how other societies and governments work,” says Hudson, noting that Bridgeton is one of the state’s poorest cities.

McPherson is certain Hudson will dedicate his life to serving others.

“Cameron is very humble, but he’s very motivated. He looks for opportunities to improve himself. He surrounds himself with people who can get him to the next level—people who have goals and who are driven.

“Most importantly, he stays very focused on the needs of his community,” McPherson adds. “He has a passion for giving back...not just looking forward.”