First-year student eager to continue his tradition of community service
Editor's note: ASU News is highlighting some of its impressive incoming students for fall 2021.
Community service has been a big part of Jacob Rothweil’s life in California, and he will continue that tradition when he arrives as a first-year student at Arizona State University.
Rothweil, who is majoring in marketing in the W. P. Carey School of Business, will be a member of the Next Generation Service Corps, a four-year leadership program where students collaborate and work on real issues in the public, private and nonprofit sectors.
Rothweil and his family created a community service event called “Pie for People.”
“It started when I was 10 years old and we were on a family road trip,” he said. “My mom is an ace at making pie, and we came up with the idea to have a community pie pot luck where everyone brings donations and pie.
“We raised about $15,000 over the past several years for different local nonprofits.”
Over the past year, Rothweil volunteered as a driver, delivering face masks and essential supplies from the county health office to people’s houses.
“I thought the Next Generation Service Corps would be a great way to meet like-minded people but more than that, I really wanted to continue what I started in high school, with volunteering and community service,” he said.
Rothweil answered some questions from ASU News:
Question: Why did you choose ASU?
Answer: One of the main reasons was that I grew up and lived all my life in Santa Cruz, which is a small town, and I went to a small high school. And ASU has this huge, vibrant community and I wanted that big school feeling with a good football team. I wanted that change.
Q: What is your major and why did you choose it?
A: I’m majoring in marketing and I chose it because I’m not 100% sure what I want to do, so I wanted a broad major. I knew I wanted something in business and I thought my skill set was more toward marketing than other business majors.
Q: What are you most excited to experience your first semester?
A: I’m really excited to move to a new place and meet a bunch of new people. I can’t wait for the football games and student body events.
Q: What do you like to brag about to friends about ASU?
A: When I talk to my friends about ASU, one of the things I like to touch on is that I’m in Barrett, The Honors College, and the facilities and amenities there are top tier. What I saw on the virtual tour, and when I visited, was that everything from the dorms to the food court to the gym is truly amazing, and I like to brag about that to my friends.
Q: What talents and skills are you bringing to the ASU community?
A: I’m a talented collaborator and that’s something I’ll bring to the table at ASU. Collaboration is a big part of the honors college and the Next Generation Service Corps.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish during your college years?
A: Besides getting good grades and graduating, I hope to accomplish a sense of community, a good, solid friend group and to set myself on a path for the rest of my life.
Q: What’s one interesting fact about yourself that only your friends know?
A: One thing that all my friends can attest to is that I’m a horrible cook. But I am good at baking cookies.
Q: If someone gave you $40 million to solve one problem in our world, what would you choose?
A: I would put it toward renewable energy resourcing and helping to find new energy sources, and also outreach to help people who don’t have the means to access renewable energy.
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