From video game development to STEM to English, Jacob Shircliff explored a handful of majors before finally finding a home -- and his dream -- at IUPUI in psychology. He’s always had passions for helping people and storytelling, but during his sophomore year, he discovered that exploring the mind in-depth was interesting and worth pursuing.
While figuring out his academic path, Shircliff made it a priority to become involved on campus. Being a commuter student, he found that he could do as much outside of the classroom as he wanted. Shircliff first took part in building the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity (FIJI), which quickly gained popularity on campus.
"I just dove head first into the community," Shircliff said. "I was a founding father of [FIJI], and it took off. It was little known at the time, and now it is one of the biggest fraternities on campus."
Later down the road, Shircliff took some time away from leading within FIJI to focus on serving the Interfraternity Council -- the governing council over IUPUI’s IFC fraternities. He liked seeing the bigger picture of how fraternities and sororities on campus all connect together. He eventually worked his way up to becoming president and devoted time to changing the presence of all fraternities and sororities on campus.
"I was president for a year, and it was amazing. We got a lot done, changed quite a few things and became heavily involved in the campus community," Shircliff said. "It was fun, and it changed me. It was great being the president because I could go and talk to anyone and ask them what they needed help with and how I could support them."
Each time Shircliff jumped into a new opportunity, a new door opened to something else. When he became involved with management through Xiphos Corps, he found home within the Undergraduate Student Government, where he landed as executive secretary. His involvement had a ripple effect, and his hard work paid off. Others around him and the university recognized his commitment to campus, and he was honored this spring as one of IUPUI’s Top 100 students.
"It was a really humbling experience to feel like there has been so much I have done and there is always more that can be done," Shircliff said. "I left a trail for others to blaze. I love going to IUPUI and being at IUPUI."
Shircliff is taking everything IUPUI has offered to him and is planning to apply his skills to life after graduation, when he begins his new job as an ABA therapist.
"Looking forward, if I believe in myself and if I dedicate myself to something and go full force, it is possible to learn anything and accomplish anything," Shircliff said. "IUPUI has really taught me that the sky's the limit. If you believe in yourself and you really put in the time and the effort, you can achieve your dreams."
