Taking the Lead: Evan Jacobs
Evan Jacobs always thought he knew what he wanted to do with his life: get a bachelor's degree from Penn State and then go to law school. During his first year in the Schreyers Honors College, he enjoyed his academics, deciding to major in political science. But in February of that year, Jacobs discovered a cause that essentially changed his life-and it wasn't inside a classroom. It was, actually, inside Rec Hall.
"I went to Thon as a spectator my first year here," he recalls. "And I fell in love with it. The passion in there is indescribable; it was like nothing I'd ever experienced."
Which explains why Jacobs is a fifth year undergraduate: he's the chairperson for this year's Penn State Dance Marathon, otherwise known as Thon. If you can't conjure up what types of responsibilities this position might entail, here's a small sampling: meeting with representatives from over 250 student organizations; organizing 2,000 Thon committee members who volunteer to run things during the weekend; naming
250 captains who are in charge of the aforementioned committee members; leading a group of 16 overall chairpeople who are in charge of leading the captains, and so on. Jacobs says that there are about 10,000 students involved in some capacity and he works hard to encourage more. 
If this sounds daunting, remember that the Thon chairperson is not only a volunteer position, but a very coveted one: Jacobs says that many students apply for the job every year.
"Generally you work your way up through the Thon ranks," he explains. "I'd been in charge of safety last year, before that I'd been in rules and regulations and before that security and logistics."
When he was named chairperson and knew he'd be staying around for another year, he decided to get another degree besides the one he'd finished in political science last year. When Jacobs, the recipient of the Hintz Honors Scholars Endowment in the College of the Liberal Arts, graduates next spring, he'll have an additional degree in anthropology. He figures that both disciplines provide a well-rounded background for philanthropic and/or fundraising work for a nonprofit agency.
"I now know that I like creating and working within organizational structures and can provide effective motivation and leadership for causes I feel strongly about," he says. "I've learned all of this about myself through my Thon experience."
Although Jacobs thinks about how his Thon experience might apply to real-world skills, the overwhelming reason for his intense dedication and love for the job is what it provides for the families in the Four Diamond Fund, an organization based at Penn State Children's Hospital. The Fund was created in 1972 to support any family with a child being treated for pediatric cancer, offsetting the costs of treatment and any other expenses. Since its inception, about 2,000 families have received support with approximately 90 new families benefitting each year. In 2005, money raised at Thon set a new record, $4.1 million.
The event is a life-changing experience for the families, the dancers, the sponsors, and the organizers, Evan Jacobs in particular.
"What's really great is that many of these kids who were diagnosed with cancer when they were eight or nine and went through therapy and remission, come back to Penn State as students," says Jacobs. "They come to Thon every year. There's no way to describe what it feels like to see them out there dancing."