An Odyssey Program scholar and Engineering Fellow, Josh Cox ’30 hopes to build on his interests through academics, study abroad and campus involvement at Elon.
When Josh Cox ’30 went to New Student Convocation, he expected it to be a normal part of his first few days at Elon University. But when Vice President for Inclusive Excellence Randy Williams began highlighting students from the Class of 2030, Cox was surprised to hear his own name.
“To be honest, I was purely shocked,” Cox said.
Cox was one of four students Williams highlighted as examples of the “well-rounded, talented, and compassionate” Class of 2030. The recognition also surprised his family. Cox said his father thought he had known about it beforehand and was upset that Cox had not told him so he could record the moment.
“I’m just as shocked as you are,” Cox remembered telling his father.
Before coming to Elon, Cox had already gained experience in several of the areas that interested him. While at Archmere Academy in Delaware, he took part in football and track and received an AP Scholar Award. He also did annual athletic training internships with the Los Angeles Rams every year since 2018 and took part in a nine-week Boeing Explorers course that focused on aircraft manufacturing.
While Cox has explored different interests, he plans to major in civil engineering at Elon, an interest that started from being around construction and building while growing up. His father owns a contracting business, and Cox said he has also always enjoyed math.
“I’m one of those weird ones that love math,” Cox said.
His interest grew after he took physics during his junior year of high school and an engineering course during his senior year. Those classes helped him see how engineering brought together subjects that he already enjoyed.
“I fell in love with the mixture of physics and engineering, design and creativity as well,” Cox said.
Cox’s interest in engineering gave him the chance to explore the field beyond the classroom. As a member of the Boeing Explorers, he participated in the nine-week program and gained a better understanding of aircraft manufacturing and the different areas of engineering involved in the industry.
Each week during the program, Cox went to the facility, where he was able to see various manufacturing machines and learn about fields such as electrical engineering.
“It was a cool experience to see different types of engineers in the workforce,” Cox said.
When it came time to choose a college, Cox said several things about Elon stood out to him. One of the biggest was Elon’s study abroad opportunities. In the past, Cox had traveled to Ghana and Europe, but he had never had the opportunity to study abroad through school.
“I want to take that opportunity, especially since I did not do it in high school,” Cox said. “I definitely wanted to enjoy that experience in college.”
Coming from Wilmington, Delaware, Elon also gave him the chance to experience college farther away from home while still having family in the area. Along with the location and study abroad opportunities, Cox said Elon’s campus and undergraduate programs helped him make his decision.
Now at Elon, Cox is already looking for ways to take advantage of the opportunities available to him. As a scholar in the Odyssey Program and a member of the Engineering Fellows, Cox is already involved on campus, but he does not want to limit himself to only those experiences. Cox said he wants to “dip my toe in a lot of things” and experience everything Elon has to offer. Along with having a social experience that comes with college, he also wants to prepare for his future and have a plan for his career after graduation.
For Cox, making the most of his time at Elon also means preparing for what comes after college. He hopes his experiences at Elon will help him figure out what he wants to do after graduation and prepare for his future. Cox intends to leave Elon with a clear path for what comes next.
“I’m really excited for both the social life and being able to have a set, sustainable plan once I graduate,” Cox said.