Not typical, but exceptional: A student turned staff member

Born and raised in Hoover, Alabama, and the son of two 1993 graduates, Jonathan Snell always had his sights set on Auburn. 

A member of the engineering academy at Hoover High School, the path to becoming a civil engineer on the Plains seemed clear.  

“Auburn was my number one option and the only school I applied to,” Snell said. “I had a lot of friends going and enough scholarships to cover all my expenses.” 

With his hopes and dreams, Snell came to campus in fall 2018, set on becoming an engineer. However, that all changed when he became a Camp War Eagle (CWE) counselor. 

"I began training for CWE the second semester of freshman year, and I realized I cared more about what I was learning for that than what I was learning in class," he said. "So, I switched my major to psychology." 

“The leadership and training for CWE is one of the best in the country, and the wealth of interpersonal skills and knowledge is unlike anything I had experienced before.” 

A price to pay

The decision to take the road less traveled in hopes of attaining fulfillment in his work, however, did come with a set of challenges. 

“When I changed my major, it came with costs because most of my scholarships were dependent on being an engineering student,” Snell said. 

The choice meant Snell worked three jobs his sophomore year just to make ends meet. Everything came to a head in March 2020 when COVID-19 shut the world down. 

“I couldn’t work but I was determined to get my degree. A friend told me about the benefits that are available from joining the National Guard,” he said. “I enlisted on the same day that would have been the first day of classes in fall 2020.” 

After spending six months in basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia, Snell came back to school in August 2021 and joined the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC). 

“Auburn’s ROTC program is one of the best in the country, consistently ranking in the Sixth Brigade’s rankings every year,” Snell said. “Balancing ROTC with academics, friends, family and church was challenging but doable. 

"There were times when a training exercise would take place on a Friday, Saturday and Sunday so I’d have to use a late Thursday night to finish assignments, but everything was worth it in the end.” 

Eyes set on the future

When it came time to graduate in spring 2024, six years after college began, Snell was ready for a new adventure. Initially, he thought that ‘new’ meant leaving the Plains for somewhere else. 

“As time went on, I began to realize that my priorities in life were more concerned with working for a cause and starting a family,” Snell said. “Then I realized that I was already in the place where both of those things could flourish. I knew working for Auburn and planting myself here was the answer.” 

He just had to find his place. 

Snell already knew what it would be like to work on campus, having spent his first two years of college working in the College of Sciences and Mathematics Outreach office and the First Year Experience office.  

From his role as a CWE parent counselor, Snell gained valuable public speaking and problem-solving skills.  

“The same can be said for the times I had to go in front of a cadet board and interview for cadet leadership positions,” he said. “These experiences were exceptional and greatly contributed to my future.” 

It took multiple applications and interviews, but Snell found his place, where he said, he was “formed and molded into the person I am today.”  

Now, you can find Snell in the Quad Center in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, working as an admissions advisor.  

Today, he works with a team of advisors who “care about Auburn as much as I do.”  

“There’s something valuable about the opportunity to let your personality flourish as you talk about things you love,” Snell said. “I did that in CWE training, and it led me to change my major. Now I do that every day at work.”