Meet Jacob Beaver

I always knew I wanted to attend Ohio State, but I was not sure what my exact program of study would be.  

Like many first-generation college applicants, I was inundated with information, college applications and scholarship materials, and I had not yet explored all the options available to me. I initially applied as a business major to give myself time to figure things out. However, when I stepped onto campus for orientation and explored Page Hall, I knew I immediately needed to switch majors. I had interned at the Ohio Statehouse and the U.S. House of Representatives during my senior year of high school, so I knew deep down that I was interested in policy, politics, government and economics. The Glenn College brought all of those interests together in one place while surrounding me with an incredibly supportive community and dedicated faculty.  

One of the most important aspects of my time at the Glenn College has been the opportunity to connect course materials and theories back to my real-world work experiences.  

The coursework at Glenn deepened my understanding of how public institutions operate and how policy decisions affect communities, while my internships provided me a front row seat to how government and private-sector leaders operate and interact day to day.  

Through my experiences at the Statehouse, Columbus City Council, and the Columbus Partnership, where I now work full time, I discovered careers I was interested in and, just as importantly, paths I didn't want to explore again in the future. The Glenn College equipped me with the knowledge, experiences and relationships needed to learn more not only about the job market and the world of public service, but also about myself and the kind of impact I want to make. 

People drive innovation, build coalitions, put their differences aside and deliver for their communities when it matters most. I am fortunate to work alongside those kinds of people every day, all while getting paid to care about the place I call home. I hope to continue building a career that lies at the intersection of government, business, policy and community impact, using what I have learned at the Glenn College to help create opportunities and improve the lives of those around me.