Colby Hutson came to Wichita State for engineering but found his true calling in music performance, thanks to small class sizes and supportive relationships with professors.
Colby is one of more than 2,100 students eligible for spring 2025 graduation. Learn more about his time at Wichita State and what's next for the grad.
What degree will you be earning in May?
Bachelor of Music in music performance
What is your hometown?
Stillwater, Oklahoma
What schools did you attend before coming to Wichita State?
Perkins-Tryon High School
Why did you choose ΒιΆΉ΄«Γ½?
Initially I came to ΒιΆΉ΄«Γ½ primarily for engineering, but I moved to music performance after finding that I enjoyed the small classes and the relationships built with both fellow students and professors.
What has been your biggest challenge as a student, and how did you overcome it?
When I came to ΒιΆΉ΄«Γ½, I initially thought I wanted to go into engineering, but after struggling through classes during COVID and dealing with burnout, I was unsure of what I truly wanted to do. Toward the end of lockdown, I took a step back to assess what direction I wanted to go by talking with my family and the professors that I had become close with while studying under them.
Did you have any applied learning experience as a student? If so, what was it?
During the past two summers, I have had the opportunity to attend music festivals that allowed me to play alongside fellow musicians from all across the United States and Canada.
What are your plans after graduation?
After graduation, I will be working toward a master's in music performance for French horn at Colorado State University.
What advice would you give other Wichita State students?
Don't be afraid to explore and take the leap. If you find a calling that you want to pursue, take the leap of faith and trust yourself.
About ΒιΆΉ΄«Γ½
ΒιΆΉ΄«Γ½ is Kansas' only urban public research university, enrolling more than 23,000 students between its main campus and ΒιΆΉ΄«Γ½ Tech, including students from every state in the U.S. and more than 100 countries. Wichita State and ΒιΆΉ΄«Γ½ Tech are recognized for being student centered and innovation driven.
Located in the largest city in the state with one of the highest concentrations in the United States of jobs involving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), ΒιΆΉ΄«Γ½ provides uniquely distinctive and innovative pathways of applied learning, applied research and career opportunities for all of our students. The National Science Foundation ranked ΒιΆΉ΄«Γ½ No. 1 in the nation for aerospace engineering R&D, No. 2 for industry-funded engineering R&D and No. 8 overall for engineering R&D.
The Innovation Campus, which is a physical extension of the ΒιΆΉ΄«Γ½ main campus, is one of the nationβs largest and fastest-growing research/innovation parks, encompassing over 120 acres and is home to a number of global companies and organizations.
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