Scholar Films
Harun's most recent film, In the Name of the Son, is based on his experiences growing up in wartime Bosnia
Jacob Ferina
“Eight years ago, while I was playing lead guitar for a local band, I would have laughed at the notion of considering myself a math geek, but now I proudly embrace it. Just another example of one of the interesting twists that life can take.”
- Program: 2009 Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship Recipient
- Hometown: Dallas, TX
- Community College: Madison Area Technical College
- Four-year College or University: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Biography
PROFILE: “From aspiring rock star to a future engineer.” That could be the title of Jacob Ferina’s autobiography . . . which is still a work in progress. The young man with an incredible knack for mathematics and problem solving didn’t realize he possessed that talent until he enrolled in junior college in his mid-twenties. He had dropped out of high school at 15, worked as a carpenter and in other positions and even attempted to establish a charter flight business in the Virgin Islands. That was only a dream though, and Jacob eventually received his High School Equivalency Diploma and, decided to try college. “At MATC I discovered a passion for mathematics, which then blossomed into a love for science,” Jacob said. “When I began all this, I never could have imagined studying, much less tutoring, multi-variable calculus.”
INSPIRATION: Many instructors at MATC have had a profound impact on Jacob. When asked to name just one he apologized, saying that it would be a hopeless task as he has been inspired by many. “I’m sorry but selecting only one person who has influenced me the most is truly impossible,” he said.
ASPIRATION: After he earns his engineering degree at Wisconsin, graduate school may be in Jacob’s future. He eventually hopes to design robotic machinery in the industrial world.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE: Jacob made his mark tutoring fellow students at his college. He was named MATC’s Outstanding Tutor of the Year 2008-2009. “It means a lot to me to know that I really do make a difference in the lives of fellow students. I am truly grateful that I am able to help.”
ACCOLADES: He was named USA Today’s Wisconsin New Century Scholar for 2009; Participated in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s MRSEC REU program, researching the control parameters of FePt nanocluster processing (“to me, it was an honor to be a part of the work”); Awarded an American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Sophomore Scholarship.
INTERESTING FACT: Jacobflew his first solo flight in a Cessna-152 before he was allowed to drive a car alone.
Other Scholars Like Jacob
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Amos Zimmermann
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