When head wrestling coach Marty Nichols ’90 was looking for a student on his team to lead discussions about preventing sexual assault and relationship abuse, he chose Jacob Ashcraft ’19, even though he wasn’t a team captain—yet.  

“I guess he looked to me as a person kids might be willing to listen to, to look up to—someone who is comfortable talking about a sensitive subject,” he says.

Ashcraft was trained by the One Love Foundation to facilitate inter-team discussions between the wrestling team and the gymnastics team.  

“It opened my eyes to how important it is to educate people,” he says. “This education could save a relationship, save a life, save someone’s mental health. It has inspired me to be an advocate.” 

That is only one reason why Ashcraft was awarded the Joseph M. Hartnett Scholarship last fall, which is given to students in the School of Business who meet high citizenship standards both on and off campus.  

In addition to being a leader on an athletic team, Ashcraft is involved with the Ithaca chapter of Unite for Her, a group that focuses on aiding community members who are fighting cancer or in remission by providing wellness activities including yoga, massage therapy, and acupuncture. At one of his last home wrestling matches this year, Ashcraft helped coordinate a fundraising event for the club.  

Last summer, he interned with Morgan Stanley, practicing wealth management. He is considering working for one of the “big four” accounting firms or starting his own business when he graduates.  

“Being a private school, Ithaca hasn’t been the easiest school to finance,” he says. “This scholarship means so much to me and my family. It is a big weight off of our shoulders financially. This scholarship allows me to focus on things such as getting good grades or being successful in my sport instead of how I am going to pay for these opportunities. I don’t know if I could have come to IC knowing that I was taking out $50,000 in loans every year.”