The Jacobson Family Considers Campaign the “Next Natural Step”
The Jacobson family’s path to Providence Day began like those of many Charlotte families. They methodically selected schools to visit and toured various campuses searching for any spark or sign that told them which school was right for their girls.
To this day, Jake and Kathleen remember vividly, “Our last visit was to Providence Day. We weren’t there 30 minutes before we looked at each other and said, ‘This is the place’.”
During the Jacobson’s initial visit to campus, their conversations with members of the community directly influenced their decision to send their daughters to Providence Day. According to Jake, one of the things that clinched their favorable view of the school was that “At Providence Day, everyone was very welcoming. Neither of us felt any pretense at all.”
The Jacobsons joined the PD community in 2004 with the enrollment of their daughter Jillian, who was later joined by her sister Catie. Now, after over a decade of involvement with the school, Jake clearly recognizes the life-changing impact Providence Day has had on his children, including his daughter Jillian, who recently was inducted into the National Honor Society.
Jake and Kathleen believe that the work Jillian accomplishes and the milestones she strives to achieve are a direct result of receiving a Providence Day education. “She sees real possibilities in her future now and has developed security in her abilities,” explained Jake. “That has caused her to become self-motivated and to raise the bar for herself.”
As a former Board Member, Jake understands why the CHARGING forward campaign is instrumental in helping Providence Day fulfill its strategic vision and long-term goals. The Jacobson’s commitment to the comprehensive effort reflects that understanding.
As a current parent of a soon-to-be alumna who will never take a class in the new academic center, Jake is empathetic to the concerns of parents in similar circumstances who hesitate to give.
“For those who won’t have a child in the school by the time this is finished, they might ask, ‘Well, why should we give?’ My answer to that is, ‘Because there were those who went before us who gave, our children have had the benefit of their giving.’ I think there’s a responsibility to give back to that same community that gave our children an education of this quality.”
Having a multi-faceted perspective also helps Jake objectively imagine how Providence Day will evolve because of the CHARGING forward campaign. Although the most noticeable changes will be made to campus’ skyline, he foresees a number of intangible benefits coming from the campaign: “Kids have to go from the West Wing to the MAC and back again. If you listen to the kids, it’s very time consuming and stressful. With this new building, it’s going to consolidate the campus, so it will make that much easier. The more stresses you can remove, the better the learning environment.”
Jake also considers these changes “the next natural step in the growth of the school,” which is already equipped with a phenomenal faculty that cultivates the talents of every type of student. As a witness to the impressive achievements of PD students and their will to succeed, Jake views the CHARGING forward campaign as a way to simplify and centralize their learning environment. “A lot is asked of the children, but they produce. They rise to the occasion.”
As the CHARGING forward campaign progresses, it is evident that its success has been catalyzed by many members of the community also rising to the occasion.
Jake and Kathleen Jacobson are the proud parents of Jillian ’17 and Catie ’21.
