New Auburn SGA president plans to ‘shoot for the moon’

While Auburn Student Government Association (SGA) President Jack Hilton’s chosen vocation is numbers, if he could be anything, he’d choose to be a chef at a Michelin-starred restaurant.

“I’m a big believer that food has a unique ability to bring people together,” said Hilton, a junior studying finance. “I love having people over for dinner and cooking for everybody, gathering at the table and breaking bread. I think there’s power in that and I’ve seen that, so that's probably my dream job.”

While he could probably go on for hours about his favorite places to eat in Auburn — The Hound and Wild Child in Hey Day Market — it’s the feeling of community that has always appealed to him. Although Hilton ran an unopposed campaign in February during the 2024 SGA Elections, many might not know he didn’t grow up an Auburn fan like others before him.

“Both my parents were huge South Carolina Gamecocks fans,” said Hilton, a North Carolina native. “Growing up, I used to go to Columbia every weekend and go to all those games. So, I was very familiar with the SEC and SEC football culture.”

Knowing that he wanted to go to a school in the Southeastern Conference, Hilton applied to 13 schools. Initially Auburn was seventh on his list, but after seeing Auburn in person, it was clear what his choice would be.

“I always like to mess with some of my UNC buddies because they come down here for a visit and they always say, ‘Man I wish I'd known about this place,’” Hilton said. “I think that really says a lot. I love this place, and it's been an incredible three years. I wish I could start it all over right now.”

Upon arriving at Auburn, Hilton instantly got involved with SGA through Freshman Forum and advanced into other positions such as assistant director of Hey Day and Senate Student Affairs Committee chair before taking on the role of president. In his new role, Hilton plans to hit the ground running and start enacting his platform.

“I think we are going to try to shoot for the moon this year on some big projects,” Hilton said. “We’re doing a lot of groundwork and research right now. This portion is a lot of grunt work and homework, and we’re going to try to see what can and cannot be done.”

His main focus surrounds improving the student experience and ensuring everyone leaves Auburn with as great of an experience as he’s had.

“We want to make sure that we’re focusing on big things that are affecting the whole student body in all different groups and all the different communities on campus they can enjoy,” Hilton said.

Hilton’s favorite part of the Auburn Family is its mentorship culture and the amazing way Auburn people look out for others and help them. It’s an idea that drives him in this position as a mentor himself.

Whether it’s the eagle flight, attending baseball games or yelling “two bits” with all his friends, Hilton’s always lived by the advice that he should work toward a goal for someone other than himself, something that translates into what he hopes his legacy will become.

“People are going to remember the experiences that made Auburn unforgettable,” Hilton said. “The line of the creed that says ‘I believe in Auburn and love it’ means something different for every single Auburn student. The other thing they’ll remember is the people they got to share that experience with. The way I see it, my No. 1 priority needs to be maximizing those two things.”