Joshua Poole: From World Record Breaker to Presidential Inauguration Staff

Joshua Poole showing the campaign Tshirt
Photo courtesy of Joshua Poole

By Matt Barnes

Before even beginning his college career, Joshua Poole, 22, set two world records in the sport of competitive shooting. His story of once-in-a-lifetime opportunities continues into the political sphere, as he was the only student from Trinity to attend the 2017 presidential inauguration in Washington D.C.

Poole, of Crawford, Texas, is a senior in Business Administration and a minor in Spanish at Trinity University. One day, he received a phone call that changed his life. “In about Mid-June of 2016, I got a call from someone at Giles Parscale, a San Antonio based marketing firm, asking if I was interested in working for the Trump for Presidency campaign. Of course I said yes and was packed and ready to go within hours.”

He became one of only 10 interns at this marketing firm working for Donald Trump’s campaign.

It was also no accident that Poole, interested in the future of America, got the call. Brad Parscale, co-president of Giles Parscale, is a Trinity graduate. He came to Trinity in January 2016 to introduce his company and internship opportunities.

“Well, about two months later, in March I believe, I must have called six times and emailed another six times with no response. It was only once summer began did I find out I got the job!” Poole recalls.

His shift from a world record breaking shooter into the realm of political activism came as a surprise to several of his friends.

Graham Stockhausen, 21, was one of the first people Poole met at Trinity University. “Josh was always friendly with everyone. He would happily give up his own bed if you needed a place to sleep,” Stockhausen says. He used to live next to Poole and the two shared a balcony. “I don’t think he was politically involved freshman year, but definitely is now.”

Poole’s former teammate Anna Johnston, 21, says, “I never knew he was interested in politics; at least it wasn’t something we talked about. Though his motivation to achieve his goals was crystal clear.”

Poole’s motivation is indeed evident. “I’m a firm believer in making the change you want to see. Especially in politics, set a goal and just do it,” he says.

Working with the campaign, Poole was responsible for making sure all the videos, photos, and posts were formatted correctly and with the right tags before they were posted on social media.

Poole’s internship did not end there. In January, he was asked to join the team working for the inauguration ceremony. “This was another once in a lifetime opportunity and I was fully willing to go to D.C. for the week and do anything they asked of me,” he says.

The inauguration team was in charge of ticketing and making sure people were at the right places at the right time. They also helped control all the traffic for the square mile around the capital lawn. “You wouldn’t have thought some 22-year-old college kid from a small town in Texas would be in charge of so much, but hey I had full Secret Service clearance and could go anywhere at any time,” Poole says.

From growing up in rural Texas to getting Secret Service clearance and directing thousands of people, Poole has earned lifetimes of experiences before he has even graduated from college.

“I believe if you have the right motivation and never stop working towards your goals, anyone can do great things. Even if it means calling a dozen times before they answer the phone,” he says.