Donor Advised Fund & Nonprofit endowment fund
The Jacob Family
To honor their family legacy as educators and encourage a future generation of passionate teachers, George and Barbara Jacob established two charitable funds at CFHZ to benefit Zeeland Schools.
George and Barb suffered a tragic loss in 2018 when their daughter, Heather Jacob Schaap, a beloved middle school English teacher, passed away from brain cancer. Seeking a way to channel their pain into purpose, George and Barb asked their son Shawn Jacob, a highly respected teacher at Zeeland High School, to help to identify a way to honor Heather’s memory as an educator and role model.
Shawn found inspiration in a list of goals on the whiteboard of Jessica Knoth, Principal of Zeeland East High School. At the top of that list was, “funding to bring back the Communication Retreat.” At the time, the district was reeling from losing a student to suicide and administrators were looking for strategies to prevent future student suicides and improve mental wellness. The Communication Retreat was a three-day program which paired students and faculty to help them learn from one another, create deeper relationships, and provide support systems for at-risk students.
“It felt meant to be,” said Shawn. “Heather was passionate about improving children’s lives. In addition to her work as a teacher, she and her husband adopted several children.” He presented the idea to his parents, and George and Barb established The Heather Jacob Schaap Retreat Fund at CFHZ, providing funding to reinstate the Communication Retreat.
“The generosity of the Jacob family has saved lives,” said Jessica. “We’re building belonging, empathy, and understanding. The retreat provides an on-going support network for the participants.” At present, 140 students and 30 staff members participate each year. As part of the retreat, participants learn about Heather’s life and legacy and engage in conversations about how their own actions or inactions will contribute to their legacies. “We receive thank you notes after the event that are truly amazing,” said Barb. “We couldn’t have asked for a better way to invest in the future of these young people.”
Encouraged by the success of the Communication Retreat and their strong relationship with ZPS, George and Barb decided to honor Shawn’s contributions by establishing a nonprofit endowment fund at CFHZ which supports the Zeeland Education Foundation and provides scholarships to students who are pursuing teaching as a career. “We’re losing teachers to retirement or other fields. It’s not easy to get the best, but often you can find it and nurture it right in your own community. We want to encourage students who will be as talented and passionate about teaching as Shawn,” said George.
Shawn’s wife, Lindsay, noted her joy at joining a family that gives generously and understands the impacts they are creating. “It’s a beautiful relationship between the family and the school,” she said. “The family hears about the ripple effects of the Communications Retreat for the participants, and we see the way students adore Shawn and respond to his teaching style.”
Shawn had initially resisted joining the ‘family business’ and pursued a livelihood as a traveling comedian and magician, engaging with kids through that work. While he enjoyed the brief conversations after shows, he longed for a way to create deeper connections. After speaking with his parents and his former professors at his alma mater, Hope College, he enrolled at Aquinas College where he received his Masters in Education and teaching certificate simultaneously. He’s been a teacher for 16 years, with most of that time spent at Zeeland East.
“Shawn is extraordinary in every single way,” said Jessica. “The entire building has benefited from his influence. He loves the students, offers them a high level of engagement and support but also holds them accountable. If the scholarships created by the Zeeland Education Foundation Fund for Shawn R. Jacob Scholarship give us teachers with even a sliver of his talent, then our kids will benefit hugely.”