Moveable Feast

“SDSU has provided me a home away from home, and I love all of the friends I’ve made here.”

Joshua Barfuss is accustomed to a full plate.

The San Diego State University senior admittedly loves to eat. When he talks about his time in San Diego, the Minnesota native speaks passionately about the authentic Mexican food, the Asian cuisine of the Convoy district and the myriad of wing options near campus.

His four years at SDSU have been a smorgasbord of another kind.

Barfuss, a statistics and economics double major, has served in leadership positions for nearly a dozen campus organizations, spent hundreds of hours participating in community service and has held seven — yes, seven — on-campus jobs.

It is no surprise Barfuss was named to the Homecoming Royal Court this year, which recognized his achievements as a student leader and dedication to leaving a legacy at SDSU. 

“It actually meant the world to me,” Barfuss said, “because it really shows how far I’ve come, because looking back I wasn’t always this active.”

In fact, Barfuss was not involved with any clubs or on-campus activities during his freshman year. 

“If you were to make a résumé of my freshman year, it was ‘I did absolutely nothing,’” Barfuss said. “I just went to class and just lived a student’s life where you don’t have any involvements.”

Barfuss wasn’t very involved during his first several years in high school in Minnesota but got involved with numerous campus activities after he moved to Dana Point to live with his aunt and uncle. During his senior year at Dana Hills High School, he participated in National Honors Society, California Scholarship Federation and the Success Club.

But as a university freshman, Barfuss thought it prudent to focus on academics — which, taken in isolation, got boring, he said. 

“Seeing how far I’ve come in these three years, it’s been really cool to see how each year I’ve added one or two, or five things,” he said. “I have a full plate of involvement, and I started with nothing on my plate.”

As a sophomore, Barfuss remembered the SDSU Ambassadors who led his New Student Orientation tour during the summer before his arrival, and thought the opportunity would be worthwhile. He applied and was named an Ambassador, serving as one of the university’s official student representatives, tour guides and orientation leaders.

At first it was a little overwhelming,” Barfuss said, “but I really loved the work. I saw people who were on the executive board were also serving on six or seven different organizations, so slowly, but surely, I decided I could pick up things to do. So I did.”

He joined the Weber Honors College Student Society executive board. Then Rotaract of SDSU. Then Mortar Board, Honors Council and Phi Beta Kappa, the Society of Statisticians and Actuaries, and the College of Sciences Student Success Center. 

Barfuss participated in home builds in Tijuana. He tutored students in statistics. And don’t forget about the seven on-campus jobs. 

“I always tell people during tours — before they ask — ‘No, I wasn’t fired from any of them,’” said Barfuss, who said he switched jobs as his interests changed. 

When he joined a student organization, Barfuss said he wasn’t satisfied by just being a member. He would double, sometimes triple, the required activity level, piling more “food” on his plate.

If a student Ambassador was needed to lead a tour, he was there. If Rotaract needed someone to work at a luncheon, he volunteered. 

“Meeting requirements doesn’t allow you to get the most out of any organization,” Barfuss said. “For me, it was about going above and beyond. When people start to see you doing so much, they want you to be on their boards and organizations, and I rarely said no.”

His efforts haven’t gone unnoticed by campus leaders.  

“Josh consistently goes above and beyond and inspired his peers to do the same. It's been a true honor to see Josh's growth during his time as an SDSU Ambassador and know he has a bright future ahead of him,” said Francisco Velazquez, assistant director of New Student and Parent Programs, who worked with Barfuss in the SDSU Ambassadors program. “Through his various co-curricular involvements and interactions, he's made an impact on prospective students that have inspired them to attend SDSU and, like him, become an ‘Aztec for Life.’” 

Participation in student organizations and taking on leadership roles are among the high-impact practices that research shows lead to higher student retention rates in school and higher graduation rates.

If there was any downside for him, Barfuss said it was that he frequently has had to pass on fun activities with his friends.

“But I wouldn’t say it’s really a huge downside because it has pushed me to be better with my time management and taught me to appreciate my free time that much more,” he said. 

“SDSU has provided me a home away from home, and I love all of the friends I’ve made here,” he said. “The diversity is just endless, and I like everyone that I have met so far and continue to meet.” 

With his undergraduate experience coming to an end in May, Barfuss is exploring options, including possibly pursuing a doctorate in economics or taking over his uncle’s optometry practice in Dana Point.

But don’t expect his plate to be any less full, he said. 

“This is always the big question, and it’s going to be different going from doing all of these different things to choosing just one,” Barfuss said. “One thing I already know is that I’m not taking one job and that’s going to be my career. I will be hopping around doing lots of things.”