Laurie Jacobs: Communications and Operations Assistant

My name is Laurie Jacobs and I am the newest member of the Rodel Foundation family. As a Delaware native, my path and Rodel’s have crossed on numerous occasions (sometimes like ships in the night).

After graduating from William Penn High School, I attended George Mason University (GMU) in Fairfax, Virginia. While at GMU, I served as an intern for numerous organization in the DC metro area such as Focused Image Public Relations Firm, American Enterprise Institute (AEI), and Main Street Radio Network.

During my extended breaks, I would alternate between finding a summer job and completing an internship. For instance, I interned at the Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts during one of my summer breaks. As someone who enjoys learning and being of service, I was always looking for a new opportunity. So when my final summer break between my junior and senior year arrived, I went in search of a new internship opportunity and out of all of the sent resumes who should respond but the Rodel Foundation! However, lady universe interfered and I was unable to take advantage of the opportunity.

Flash forward a few months, I graduate from GMU with a Bachelors of Arts in Communication with a concentration in Public Relations and earn a position as a Sales and Marketing Support Specialist at Arkieva Supply Chain Software. During my time at Arkieva, I gained valuable experience with email marketing, branding efforts, and event planning while quenching my thirst for education and community service through organizations like the Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League and The Kennett Rotaract. It was through these organizations that Rodel’s path and my own passed again. I learned that there was an open position and this time, lady universe worked in my favor!

My interest in education include increasing parent and community engagement, helping high school students develop career pathways and building strong communicators within the minority population. I look forward to working with Rodel and its staff as they strive to create one of the best systems of public schools in the world by 2020.

As a rule of thumb, I will end by sharing some random facts about myself: I love the Philadelphia Eagles, I can be bribed with Haribo’s Gummi Bears or M&Ms, and I prefer to watch television with the subtitles.