Josh Rutten: "I try to learn from everything."

Who in life gets a free ride? A journey without bumps, a few bruises and some knotty problems?

Nobody, right?

Which is why Amazing Stories was so happy to connect with student Josh Rutten, new to UAA in 2015, now in his second semester in the Theatre and Dance Department. His personal tale is one of steady resilience, even when the going gets tough. He's the first to tell you he made mistakes. The good news is, he learned from every single one.

Actually, there is more than one reason we value the chance to tell Josh's story. He was recommended by fellow student Arlo Davis, the result of their work together on the UAA theatre production "Marie Antoinette" (Josh on light board, Arlo on sound board). They got to sharing their stories, and Arlo decided Josh's adventures would be inspiring for other students.

We LOVE it when students nominate other students for their amazing story, and we hope this encourages more student-nominations. (Nominations don't have to be formal; Arlo just sent us an email, and we followed up.)

Wrote Arlo: "[Josh] stands out with his enthusiasm for being a UAA student, positive attitude about the theatre department, and willingness to share his college story."

Our check-in with a faculty member, a required step for all Amazing Stories, netted this affirmation from Dan Anteau, chair of Theatre and Dance:  "Joshua is a great young man, and I agree has an interesting story starting out in the satellite campuses and finishing in Anchorage.  He has already started to have an impact in our department."

Green light!

What's happening now

After just one semester at UAA under his belt, here's what Josh is engaged in:

• Co-host for KRUA 88.1 FM's new Tech-Know Radio Show every Tuesday 9-10 a.m. He shares the mic and hosting duties with his boss, Academic Innovation & E-Learning Center (AieL) leader Dave Dannenberg, and an instructional designer, Dave DeHass. The three hosts do the show in character, known as "The Boss, DeHass, and Josh the Intern."
• The show is a part of his 20-hours a week as a student worker with AieL There he does everything from co-hosting the show, editing the podcast, to general reception and secretarial work.
• 10-credit hours each semester, with an anticipated graduation in two years, because he first earned his associate of arts degree at Kenai Peninsula College, where he also worked as a residence hall assistant. This earlier degree has allowed him to quickly finish a few remaining GERs and dedicate himself to the theatre program, to, as he puts it, get right to "the good stuff."
• Auditioned and won the character role of Oscar fall semester in a directed scene from "The Odd Couple." Ask him about bringing down the house in a single scene, thanks to one flying plastic plate.
• Worked tech for a Mainstage production his first semester; plans to do as much tech and behind the scenes work as he can get. "I won't be a starving actor waiting tables while I wait for roles," says Josh. "I'll have the skills to do costumes, lights, sound. UAA is redefining what it means to be an actor. You end up as a well-rounded theatre person with lots of capacity."

So , this is the success. But we alluded to bumps and challenges, reasons why Arlo was sure Josh's story would inspire other undergraduates. Here's why.

Scenes from a trashy trailer

Josh had lived in Soldotna once before with his sister, mom and step-dad, but work took them to Utah and Josh followed.

Josh and Utah did not hit it off.

"I didn't think I was really ready to be on my own. But I couldn't get a job in Utah, I was having a tough time with my mom and step-dad. Then my grandma died, and it was really hard on the whole family."

At the funeral, Josh's great aunt Valita (Aunt Vidi, to Josh) said something that spurred Josh to action. "I am really disappointed that you didn't stay in Alaska," she said. Whatever Aunt Vidi says matters to Josh. Her words gave him pause. When family friction returned, he decided-at age 19-that he was ready to fledge. "So I said, 'Forget it! I'm going back to Alaska!'"

In the summer of 2013, he flew back, alone, with just $400 in this pocket and no concrete plans. He remembers taking off from Salt Lake City on a beautiful sunny summer day, and landing back in Alaska, where mishaps began.

"I did what any teenager who had money in their pocket, and no plan, would do. I squandered it. On bingo. Lots and lots of bingo!"

He couch-surfed for a few weeks with friends in Soldotna, got a job at McDonald's, then got a bead on some cheap accommodations-a trailer near the Kenai River for a couple of hundred dollars a month.

Two vivid images of his trailer life give you a feel for his hard circumstances:

• no running water; electricity arrived via one long extension cord
• the padlock; he had to padlock it from the outside when he left, and from the inside when he slept, for security.

This was rock bottom. Josh had just enough money coming in to keep this "roof" over his head, but he was also stuck, psychologically.

"I didn't want to do anything... I didn't want to better myself," he said. For someone with his generally optimism and sunny disposition, this was a concern. It went on for weeks. He was at a crossroads, and his life could have gotten even less stable.

Fortunately for him, his own efforts and some external circumstances began to prevail in his favor.

First, a friend called with a line on a studio apartment he could afford on his McDonald's salary (rent was $500 a month, utilities included). And, he enrolled at Kenai Peninsula College. Taking classes felt good, like forward momentum.

But it was still hard. Car-less, he could walk to McDonald's for his shifts, but getting to school was harder. He ended up paying $10 round trip to go to class on local public transit. Eventually he won a slot as a resident assistant, saving himself room and board costs, and giving him lots of experiences helping others. In the process, he helped himself.  He also caught odd jobs when he could, working retail in local shops.

His grades were up and down, but each time he needed to, Josh pulled up his performance. He graduated with his associate's, and set his sights on UAA and a bachelor's degree.

To the big city

Finding an affordable apartment in Anchorage is no small feat. Josh lucked out. He rents an affordable room in an apartment he shares with a full-time retail worker. His roommate is a good cook, the apartment is on a bus route to UAA, and life is calm and reasonable. That level of security has allowed Josh to focus on school and work. As mentioned earlier, he's effective and happy in all his current endeavors. Theatre has proven especially satisfying.

"I won't say I was humbled,"  says Josh. "I'd say I was gobsmacked by how much goes into a theatre production." Although he's still on the acting track, he's determined to leave UAA with the skill set to work behind the scenes in many capacities. At UAA, he has kept his grades up. He's reconnected with his family in a way that feels more comfortable; they talk several times a week now.

There have been upsets. His father died about a year ago, unexpectedly. This year, a friend living in Kenai also died. "He was a really good person, very smart, very bright," remembers Josh.

The losses have not derailed him. The people who are gone -his grandmother, his dad, his Kenai friend-Josh says they believed in him. They were proud of him. He needs to continue on his own journey and fulfill his own promise. They'd accept nothing less, he says.

Another big victory since fall? He's down 30 pounds, all thanks to the walking campus that is UAA. "I did it by cruising through the spines, on my way here and there," he said. His goal is to drop another 50 pounds by the end of the year. He knows diabetes, cancer and heart disease run in his family. He's determined to do what he can to avoid them.

"These are big goals," he admits, "But they're long term." Just as he pulled himself out of a rut in Kenai, he's confident he can achieve what he sets out to do.

I asked him to flash forward: "Where are you in five years?"

He didn't hesitate. "I'll be in L.A., working on shows as an actor, or behind the scenes in tech." He's willing to start out as a receptionist or a secretary. Passionate about game shows like "The Price is Right" and "Jeopardy," he'd be happy working on sets or researching correct answers.

When his friend Arlo nominated him for an I AM UAA profile, Josh said, "Aw, they'd never do me." Well, we just did!

Written by Kathleen McCoy, UAA Office of University Advancement

February Archive