How much power does one voice have?
It was a question Oscar Jacome Huesca ’25 posed in an audio essay nearly four years ago after completing Wabash Liberal Arts Immersion Program’s (WLAIP) summer institute.
In his essay, the first-generation college student shared that much of his childhood was spent “being reserved and keeping to myself.” Fear kept him from asking questions when he did not understand something and developing closer relationships with friends.
He came to Wabash and signed up for courses that forced him to participate in public speaking as a way to challenge himself and those anxieties.
“I’ve learned that speech has the power to cultivate an identity,” Jacome Huesca shared in the essay. “My voice is an extension of who I am, so I should take pride in speaking. I hope that this knowledge will help me continue to develop a voice that is fully mine.”
Now, just months away from graduating, Jacome Huesca can’t help but crack a smile when thinking about how far he’s come.
While he still may not be the loudest student vocally, his actions and involvements across campus speak volumes to his influence and growth.
“I am not the same person I was four years ago and I am very proud of that,” Jacome Huesca said. “I put myself out there and strived to involve myself in as many things as I could.”
The music major and art minor served in leadership roles with ’shOUT and La Alianza, worked as a stitcher in the Costume Shop, spent a summer studying abroad in Salzburg, Austria, and took center stage to sing with Glee Club and play the saxophone with the Jazz Ensemble, Pep Band, and Mariachi Pequeños Gigantes.
“I found a passion in performing that I didn’t quite have before,” said Jacome Huesca, who was a member of Crawfordsville High School’s concert and marching bands.
“I’ve become more confident, especially when it comes to performing music,” he said. “I still experience some nerves leading up to a show, but once I’m on stage and the music starts, my mind goes somewhere else and everything naturally falls into place.”
Music Professor Mollie Ables recalls the first time she saw Jacome Huesca perform. His stage presence stood out in contrast with what she had experienced in the classroom.
“I had Oscar for all of the required music major courses, and he was always just there. Never made his presence known except for the rare times when he would come through with the most insightful thing that I had heard from anyone,” Ables said. “He’s what I like to call a classroom sniper. He waits with this endless patience and then when you least expect it, he delivers something big that makes me go, ‘Oh, I hadn’t thought of it that way. Thank you, Oscar!’
“I watched a shift happen when he performed with the Jazz Ensemble, which naturally has a very loud presence, one that prioritizes improvising and constant, dynamic collaboration,” she continued. “What he doesn’t always do in speech, he is able to flawlessly do in his performances. Watching him have those musical conversations with people is fascinating.”
Ables has admired Jacome Huesca’s drive to challenge himself to try new things, like learning how to play the soprano saxophone as part of his senior seminar project.
“He didn’t have to do that,” she said. “He could have stuck to repertoire that he already knew, but without anyone asking him to, he sought out the thing that was going to challenge him the most.”
With her office located down the hall from practice rooms, Ables got to hear the progression of Jacome Huesca figuring out the new instrument.
“It was very satisfying to hear him improve his intonation and technique,” Ables said. “When students are first learning a new instrument, it’s about the technique and fundamentals. What’s really fun is, at a certain point, you hear them starting to make music. You can hear their voice in it. You can hear them putting themselves into the music. By the end of the semester, I could tell that Oscar was not just playing notes, he was vibing.”
Art Professor Matt Weedman said Jacome Huesca is “one of the bravest students we have at Wabash,” specifically recalling watching the senior lead Mariachi Pequeños Gigantes at La Alianza’s Pasada last semester as he sang while wondering through the crowd of celebration attendees.
“He’s clearly naturally quiet and feels uncomfortable in front of people, yet he constantly puts himself in that place. And to me, that’s as brave as you can get,” Weedman said. “When we talk about teaching students to push themselves—there’s nobody pushing harder in that realm than Oscar. I really respect how much of his comfort he’s willing to give up in order to have a fulfilling Wabash College experience.”
Weedman and Ables said Jacome Huesca has also challenged them as educators by demonstrating that leadership can come in many forms.
“Oscar helped me be more in tune with possibilities of students, especially the ones who are a little quieter, who maybe sit in the back of the room and don’t make it all about themselves,” Weedman said. “He understands a way of being successful that isn’t the straightforward, linear way that we usually assume. He’s taught me to continue to not assume we understand students before we actually get to know them.”
“It’s easy to associate getting involved with being vocal. He’s demonstrated that there are ways to be vocal and loud through service, actions, and devoting your time and attention to people and causes that matter to you,” Ables added. “He doesn’t talk about doing it, he just does it. It’s impactful in the work itself, but it also shows that there doesn’t have to be one type of person that can have this kind of presence on campus.”
Jacome Huesca, who plans to pursue a career in music after graduation, shared advice for his freshman self and any other students who may be struggling to find their voice.
“Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Whether that be with joining a new club, trying something new, or meeting new people—just put yourself out there.”