It was only last spring that Nathan Hatch walked across the stage at graduation. For most students, this walk symbolized the end of their personal journey at Houghton College, but for Hatch, this walk was the beginning of a new chapter for him at Houghton.
Although Hatch is not a student at Houghton anymore, he is still part of the community. He can still be found on campus, the only difference is the change in uniform. He used to be found dressed up as a Scotsman leading the soccer teams out onto the field while waving a giant Houghton Highlanders flag. Now he can be found making his rounds around campus in his security uniform, trying to keep the campus safe and enjoyable for all.
Hatch is still a relatively well known figure around campus. After graduating last year, he decided to stay on campus to help further serve the Houghton community. Many students on campus know Hatch personally, which according to Hatch provides both advantages and disadvantages in his job. Hatch said, “It’s an advantage because my job revolves around being around students. Because I know a lot of people it just makes my job easier.” Hatch added, “This is a disadvantage because, sometimes the students that know me think they can get away with certain things just because they know me.” Although Hatch is a friendly and approachable type of person, he takes his job very seriously.
Many students often portray campus security as mean people that don’t do a whole lot, except for hand out parking tickets. Being on the other side of things, Hatch has gained a new perspective of his new job. According to Hatch there are a lot of things that students don’t see. Hatch said, “We are often seen as burdens, when in reality a lot of the things that we do for the students go unnoticed.” Whether it be an issue of campus security, or something small like making sure classroom doors are unlocked for the students and faculty, Hatch and the rest of the security staff are the exact opposite of a burden to the school.
Although Hatch thoroughly enjoys his job, he never foresaw himself working as a security officer, although he did joke about it occasionally while he was a student. Having graduated last May with a degree in Outdoor Recreation, and a minor in Business and Environmental Stewardship, Hatch wanted to and is still striving to get into the outdoor industry. He one day hopes to be either a hunting or a fishing guide after his time at Houghton, but he doesn’t know how long that will be. Hatch doesn’t view this job as “transitional,” as in, this job isn’t going to help him gain experience in his desired field of work. However, he sees this job as, “A good job to transition out of college into the workforce.”