JJ
Jacob Jensen
  • business with conc. in financial decision making
  • Class of 2018
  • Badger, IA

Jacob Jensen Selected for Community Scholarship Program

2017 Nov 21

Buena Vista University (BVU) student Jacob Jensen has been selected for the 2018 class of the Principal Community Scholars Program. Twenty-four additional college students from Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin were also selected.

The program is designed to encourage student leadership to meet community needs. Selected students will receive a $1,000 scholarship from Principal, a global financial services company, upon completion of a service project. This is the second year of the program, which last year supported twenty students in Iowa and California.

The recipients were chosen by Iowa Campus Compact - a national coalition of over 1,000 colleges and universities committed to the public purposes of higher education - after being nominated by faculty or staff from their college or university and a rigorous review process.

"I was very excited to be selected for this program," said Jensen, a senior business major from Badger. "I love to give back and to help other people, and this program will equip me with additional support and allow me to collaborate with Iowa Campus Compact and my other peers in the program to help ensure my success."

This year's scholars proposed projects designed to engage their peers and their institutions. These projects tap into a variety of skills that can be offered by college students and will impact causes ranging from education to neighborhood vitality through research, fundraising, communications, and other means.

Jensen's project involves informing area high school students about managing finances and financial planning. In the spring, he plans to present a small workshop to students about the importance of these topics.

"As a business major with a concentration in financial decision making, I value the importance of financial literacy," said Jensen. "Personal finances, budgeting, and planning are all very important topics to me personally, but especially for young adults who will be on their own for the first time as they enter college or the workplace. I wish to help these young adults learn as much as they can before they hit the ground running with little knowledge or planning."

Dr. Ashley Farmer-Hanson, assistant dean for student life and director of civic engagement at BVU, added, "We are really proud to have Jacob selected as a Principal Community Scholar. We are excited to see his skills and knowledge in business and finance be shared with area youth to help them become better prepared financially. He is very deserving of the honor and will definitely make a positive impact."

Selected students came together virtually on Friday, Nov. 10 for a retreat designed to introduce key concepts related to community engagement and service. The students will have the opportunity to continue working with each other, Campus Compact staff, and their on-campus adviser throughout the semester as they complete their projects.