As a senior, Jacob Rowe looks back on his four years at Trinity Lutheran High School with pride.

He has accomplished much, and with the Christian education he has received, he plans to do even more.

Rowe is one of 39 students who will receive their diplomas Saturday morning during the school’s annual graduation ceremony. The service begins at 10 a.m. in the Bollinger Athletic Complex.

This year’s valedictorians are Briley Abraham, Courtney Barker and Rachel Onken, and the salutatorian is Noah Criswell.

During the school’s annual awards program May 9, Rowe received the David Sandhage Christian Service Award. It is an award voted on not by teachers, but students.

“It was an extremely high honor for me, especially with my classmates saying what they did about me and how I conduct myself at this school and how I am around them,” he said. “It definitely made me feel amazing that this school has brought that out of me and really developed me as a young man before college.”

Before coming to Trinity, Rowe attended Immanuel Lutheran School in Seymour. He plans to continue his studies at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis later this year and already has been accepted into the Kelley School of Business to pursue a degree in business and accounting.

“I’ve always enjoyed numbers,” he said of his interest in accounting. “As crazy as it sounds, I love it.”

Rowe said his father had wanted to be an accountant but didn’t have the opportunity to go to college.

“He got it from my grandmother, I got it from him,” he said.

In his four years at Trinity, he has taken classes in accounting, personal finance, computer applications for training in Microsoft Office, pre-calculus, algebra and geometry to help prepare him academically for college and a career.

When it comes to extracurricular activities, Rowe has made his mark in a variety of areas. He has been in school drama productions, Chess Elub, Euchre Club and National Honor Society and competed in football, basketball and track and field.

Although he enjoys being involved in athletics, he said his journey now is about preparing for a career.

“I might play intramurals,” he said.

Rowe said being able to have a personal, one-on-one connection with his teachers has been the biggest factor in helping to prepare him for his future.

“It’s really cool to be able to get to know your teachers like that and how it can develop you morally as well as socially just to get to know people,” he said.

Unable to choose just one teacher as being the most influential in his high school career, Rowe said he has been influenced by several, including his business teacher, Bonnie Koontz; his drama teacher, Michelle Bauman; and his Spanish teacher, Lindsey Trah.

For Rowe, graduation is both sad and very exciting, he said.

“You love it so much, you don’t want to leave, but you know that you have to in order to start the next chapter in your life,” he said.

It’s the feeling of togetherness Trinity provides that Rowe said he will miss the most.

“We all share one common thing, and that’s our faith,” he said. “Being able to worship with all of the students and faculty in this school is outstanding.”

Rowe’s advice to incoming freshmen is “Don’t be afraid.”

“I walked in here afraid, thinking I don’t know what I’m going to do, and all I had to look forward to was sports,” he said. “The more you get involved here, it’s amazing to see the bond that you can create between any type of person through this school.”

He also encourages incoming seniors to be ready to take on a leadership role.

“Be the person that the freshmen and sophomores need to look up to for anything, for advice, for sports, for academic help, for anything,” he said. “It goes a long way.”

[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”Jacob Rowe” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]

Name: Jacob Rowe

Age: 18

Hometown: Seymour

School: Trinity Lutheran High School

Activities: Drama, Chess Club, Euchre Club, National Honor Society, football, basketball and track and field

Future plans: Study business and accounting at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis

Family: Parents, Tim and Heather Rowe; brother, Josh Rowe, 16

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What: Trinity Lutheran High School graduation

When: 10 a.m. Saturday

Where: Bollinger Athletic Complex at Trinity

Who: 39 seniors will graduate

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