Alumni Impact - Jacob's Story

Jacob is a 2016 graduate of Marshall High School and recently graduated from South Dakota State University with a degree in electrical engineering. Jacob used to be one of those athletes who compartmentalized his faith and sports but through FCA has learned how to bring faith into every area of his life. His time in FCA shaped not only his middle and high school years but has a daily effect on his life today.

When Jacob was in eighth grade, Marshall Middle School FCA was launched. He and several friends became leaders that first year, and the group is still going strong a decade later. Jacob went on to high school and attended FCA all four years, serving as a leader for three. He attended the Tuesday morning huddle, participated in Bible studies, served as a huddle leader at day camps, and went to several sports camps. FCA was an integral part of his high school experience. 

When he thinks back to what was most impactful about FCA, five things stand out:

Weekly Meetings

“It was always cool to me meeting on Tuesday mornings on a weekly basis. Looking back, it was four years of meeting to talk about God in my school. It’s awesome to think about how it’s still going.” Jacob made close friends at those weekly meetings and learned how to lead. He stood for Christ at his school and was committed to being a light to his classmates and teammates.

Sports Camp

Jacob attended several regional sports camps in Decorah, Iowa. For Jacob, these camps were fun and impactful. When asked what sport he chose to play at sports camp, he had to pause and think about it. Then he laughed. “I think football . . . yeah, it was football.” He admitted that while sports are definitely a huge part of sports camp, the “other stuff” is often more influential and memorable. He learned to become a better football player, but he learned more about how to grow in his walk with the Lord and make his faith part of all he did.

Foundation for a Daily Walk with God

FCA taught Jacob the importance of spending time with God every day. “Whenever we had camps, we spent time being taught about foundations; there was always an opportunity for quiet time with God. Camp was the first time I spent time in the Word by myself. FCA was my first exposure to that. FCA made it the norm that you read the Bible yourself rather than just being told about it by someone else.” Jacob doesn’t know that he would have ever established the habit of a daily quiet time without the influence of FCA.