Jacob Groover, a graduate of Collins Hill High School, is set to receive his degree in information technology from Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) on December 12. Groover’s educational path was shaped by a series of decisions rather than one defining moment.
“There are just small decisions,” Groover said. “Those decisions become daily actions, and those actions compound over time until they have the power to transform us into something entirely new.”
Groover began his college journey in 2010 at another Georgia university, joining the Navy Reserve Officers’ Training Corps with hopes of commissioning into the Navy. However, injuries including a torn ligament and stress fractures forced him to leave ROTC and transfer to GGC in 2012. After completing core classes there for two years, he transferred again to pursue biomedical engineering but later realized it was not the right fit.
“I was deep enough into biomedical engineering to realize it was a lot more medicine and a lot less engineering and technology than I expected,” Groover said. “Meanwhile, I was looking back to my time at GGC with increasing fondness.”
This led him back to GGC where he changed his major to information technology with a concentration in software development.
“I knew I wanted to work in industry and felt that a degree in IT with a concentration in software development was the best fit to gain practical skills,” he said. “I had no idea when I made that choice how at home and welcome I would feel coming back to GGC. I can say with confidence I made the right choice.”
During his studies, Groover also worked as a trauma counselor, drawing on personal experiences from his childhood after losing his younger sister Emma in an accident.
“From my perspective then, I was her big brother, and I was supposed to protect her,” he said.
Groover described how counseling helped him process grief: “I eventually healed by facing them,” he explained. “At first, it shocked me to realize they came about every ten seconds. I had to learn to stop every time that happened, reject the lie and accept the truth. After about six months, it started to work. After six years, the people I met were no longer able to believe me when I described what I used to be like.”
He saw helping others as part of his mission: “It’s one thing to learn how to help yourself, and entirely another to learn how to help others,” Groover said. “I wanted to lift that weight for others who were burdened and give them a chance at the freedom and relief I had found.”
Looking ahead after graduation, Groover credits GGC for its impact on his life.
“To me, GGC is a shining beacon of light in the world,” he said. “I feel that I have truly found people who understand me here, who accept me, who rejoice when I triumph, stand by me when I struggle, and who challenge me to see things in new ways. Here I have had the privilege of meeting unrivaled mentors whose wisdom, passion, insights and care have reinforced my resolve, prepared me for my future and forever changed my life.”
