St. Peter, MN -
We've found a student in St. Peter that is rising to the top by helping those still on their way up. St. Peter senior Jacob Iveland spends part of his school day and much of his summer mentoring sixth graders but that's just one of the many activities listed on his impressive resume.
Jacob Iveland says, "One of the challenges I face is that I have to look at people when they talk." Jacob discovered his hearing loss at around age 3, he also learned at an early age that it wouldn't hold him back.
"I'm not afraid of just asking teachers if I need them to repeat or something...its just how I learn."
Its that fearless attitude that has fueled his school success. He participates in school athletics, is president of the student council, and is a member of the National Honor Society but he also spreads his wings. He mentors sixth grade students at the middle school next door and he's taking college course at Gustavus.
"Its actually a challenge. Just today I've been in three or four buildings."
He still finds time to help others. He can be found packing food at Kids Against Hunger, working at camps for the mentally challenged and last summer he even organized a golf tournament.
"People don't understand how much work goes into a golf tournament, I probably spent 120 to 150 hours on it..." But he concedes it was time well spent. "I raised $3,000 from that and all that money went toward a new shotput area for our high school."
His advice for other teens is to set a goal.
"Pick something you really want, like I really want to go to University of Iowa and be an audiologist...as long as I keep at it, I should have a chance of getting it."
