Jason Stern

PROFILE: Jason Stern says he is indebted to the Foundation. He’s thankful for the scholarships which allowed him to move from community college to one of the most prestigious engineering schools in the East, however, that’s not the only reason for his gratitude. It was at a Foundation-sponsored event that he met his wife to be, fellow Scholar Caraleigh Holverson. Jason, a self-proclaimed “hopeless computer geek,” has a wry sense of humor and loves to put people at ease and make them smile. When asked to talk about his relationship with the Foundation, he’s quick to point out that he was a member of the inaugural class of Undergraduate Transfer Scholars, and jokes “I got in before there were any standards.” Jason’s dedication to learning, brilliance, and commitment to helping the less fortunate earned him the scholarship. Jason said “although I have grown and matured significantly since then (2002), I still have the same core beliefs, and desire to help others.”

INSPIRATION: Jason said, although a bit clichéd to admit, one of the biggest influences in his life has been his mother. “Rather than devote her time and energy to a professional career, instead, she spent it raising and homeschooling myself and my three siblings,” he said. “Although she had almost no interest in technology and preferred to be working on our small family farm, she was always very supportive of my interests, and taught me the importance of community, education, and fighting for what you believe.”

ASPIRATION: Jason has always been interested in technology and math, but it wasn't until junior year in college that he discovered how much he enjoyed working with people from diverse cultural backgrounds and ideas. He was fortunate to study abroad and learned how rewarding cross-cultural exchanges could be. This resulted in serving as a representative of the US at an international conference with Iranian students to discuss tensions between the two countries. “These experiences, and the experience of living in our nation's capital, have influenced me to move away from purely technical pursuits and to instead focus on how technology shapes how we communicate and interact with each other.”

MAKING A DIFFERENCE: Rather than be in the spotlight, Jason prefers to work behind the scenes to inspire others. One way he does this is through the “For Inspiration of Science and Technology” (FIRST) robotics competition designed to get grade school students interested and involved with science, technology, engineering, and math. For over eight years, Jason has been involved with FIRST in a variety of different roles.

ACCOLADES: Jason was an honors graduate of both Quinebaug Community College and Clarkson and is also a Sun-certified Java Programmer. 

INTERESTING FACT: Impulsive, a few years ago while living and working in New England, Jason quit his job, packed up all his possessions and hopped on a Greyhound bus to Washington, DC where Caraleigh was attending Georgetown University. With no place to stay and no job, Jason had no worries. He was content to be near the woman he loved.