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How Nick Walker grew his branch from four students to seventy in one year.
When Nick Walker launched ACC’s Sam Houston State University Branch in 2024, just four students showed up to the first meeting. It could have ended there, but Nick was unfazed by the initial turnout. Week after week, he tabled on campus, invited friends, and brainstormed new events to bring people together. Sure enough, by the end of his first semester, membership had climbed past 40 students.
This September, Nick hosted what would be his last indoor meeting before leaving for an internship in Washington, D.C.. He knew it had to count. “I came in with the energy of a game show host and Steve Irwin,” he said, describing the atmosphere. More than 70 students showed up, the group’s biggest crowd yet.
Nick delivered both inspiration and strategy. He spoke about ACC’s history nationally and locally, then laid out an ambitious plan for the semester: hikes, a trip to a local observatory (“there’s nothing more outdoors than space,” he shares), and conservation projects at Lake Livingston. The officer team he assembled handled logistics like merchandise and tech, while Nick infused the room with energy. Students were there to engage, make new friends, and carry the momentum into a group hike that weekend.
For Nick, the milestone was also a handoff. He had trained his officers carefully, creating a detailed itinerary and budget for the semester, delegating meetings to different leaders, and even setting up carpools and headcounts to keep things running smoothly. While he remains available to guide the branch from D.C., he’s confident in their leadership.
That confidence was clear at the kickoff. “It broke the spell of passiveness and brought energy into everybody,” Nick reflected. What started with just five students has grown into one of ACC’s most active branches and a living example of how persistence and passion can turn small beginnings into an echoing movement.