Jacob At 25: A Reflection

By: Jacob Elyachar

I have reached a huge milestone in my life…turning 25-years-old!

Throughout the past 24 years, I have made outstanding memories that have carried me to where I am today.

Getting My Eagle:

From 1993 to 2007, I went on an impeccable adventure with Cub Scouts Pack #3321 and Boy Scouts of America Troop 61.   Through my adventures, I learned how to tie a Square Knot to serving my community, nation and the world.    However, when I got near the end of my journey, I stepped up my game and created and successfully implemented my Eagle Project, which focused on a door-to-door community drive that benefited Hope House of Kansas City.   Thanks to the help of my community, fellow scouts and adult leaders and some gracious donors, I was able to donate over a truckload of gently used clothing, bedding and new baby supplies to Hope House.    Due to the project’s success and my determination, I was able to attain the rank of Eagle Scout.  Today, my brother, Aaron Elyachar, and I remain the only two Eagle Scouts in our family.

The University of Colorado:

After graduating from Blue Valley Northwest High School in 2007, I headed west to the University of Colorado at Boulder and studied to become a broadcast journalist.  Throughout my four years at Boulder, I made strong bonds with my fellow students and dedicated myself to study my craft.    I want to thank my fellow alumni of the CU Independent, CU Sports Mag and Newsteam Boulder for creating a superb atmosphere and being a driving force to reach my dream.   Also, I want to give a huge shout out to Amy Herdy, Gil Asakawa, Stephen Jones, Paul Daugherty and Meg Moritz for encouraging my creativity and guided me throughout my three years in the Journalism program.

My internships:

While attending the University of Colorado at Boulder, I decided to out of my comfort zone and interned at three different news stations: WDAF-TV FOX 4 News in Kansas City, KMGH-TV ABC 7 News and KUSA-TV NBC 9 News in Denver.   Each internship presented new opportunities for me to grow as a professional and to learn more the industry I love.    I want to personally thank the news directors, producers, reporters and staff members that helped me grow and develop my talents, so I could chase my dream to become a respectable reporter in the media.

World traveler:

Throughout my life, I was blessed with the opportunity to travel around the world.   One of my most memorable adventures included traveling across the Pacific Northwest on a bus with Camp Chi, where I did not know a soul.   However, as I whitewater rafted in Hope, British Columbia and took a side trip to a tree house in Montana, I was able to create and establish relationships with every member of my group.

Another highlight was my trip to Israel in 2007, where I was a part of the International Leadership Seminar in Israel.  I experienced every aspect of Israel that ranged from multiple trips to the Western Wall to a trip to an Israeli hospital (due to dehydration).   I also faced one of the biggest challenges in my life—climbing Masada.   It was a day after I was cleared to rejoin the group and I was in the worst shape possible and struggled to walk up the trail, but thanks to my fellow travelers and our director, Judith Rosenberg, I was able to enjoy a beautiful Israeli Sunrise and a memorable morning service.

 

The biggest overseas experience I have had at this point in my life…still remains my four months in London, England with the Syracuse University Abroad program.    I enjoyed learning more about the English culture through my coursework in Shakespeare and British Mass Media and American Politics and experiences through the live theater shows, countless museums and trips through the London Underground.  I also traveled across England and visited Stonehenge, Canterbury, Oxford and Dorset.    Plus, I also traveled to Paris with the school and Florence, Italy with my family.   I want to personally thank Charine John, Linda Harkness, Claire Rasul, Michelle Britton, Rachel Tafesse, Eugenia Francis and former staff members Brian Nocella and Lisa Wilkinson for welcoming me and my fellow students with open arms and also to the incredible people I met during my four-month stay!

 

My CrossFit Journey

After traveling around the country and world, I realized I had to get back into shape.  One fitness program that helped me was CrossFit.  For the past year and a half,  I had the opportunity to grow as an athlete…. thanks to the non-stop encouragement of my coaches: Brady Mora, Angela Schaffer, Mike Hicks and TJ Kiblen.   But I also want to give a give a massive shout-out to all of the phenomenal people I have ever had a chance to workout with! You are the reason why I continue to do this and I hope that I will make you proud on October 5… when I enter my first CrossFit competition.

The People I’ve Met

For the past 24 years, I have been blessed to get to know some of the most incredible people in numerous industries.  I enjoyed interviewing the some of the best talent in the music industry that range from lead singers of bands including Black Oxygen’s David Lyle, Drew Six, Mime Game’s Dillon DeVoe, the Mowgli’s Colin Dieden and the Strive’s Brendan Stevens to alums of some of my favorite shows: America’s Got Talent, The Voice and X Factor USA. (Hi Amanda Brown, Andrew De Leon, Chris Mann, Christian Porter, Cody Belew, Daniel Joseph Baker, Frenchie Davis, Kim Yarbrough and LeRoy Bell!).   Besides working with some of the best talent in the music industry, I had a pleasure of interviewing rising superstars in the business, fitness and performing arts worlds including Scott Herman, Hitch Fit’s Micah Lacerte, fit2fat2fit’s Drew Manning, Coffee Lunch Coffee author Alana Muller, Shaping Sound Dance Company’s Nick Lazzarini, Travis Wall, Teddy Forance and Kyle Robinson and North America small business expert James Timothy White.   All of these incredible individuals pushed me to become a stronger interviewer and a better person and I cannot wait to collaborate with them in the future.

Acknowledgements:

I could not be here today without thanking you the readers for coming back to Jake’s Take every single day!   I wish I had an iTunes card to give to each and every one of you…hopefully that day will come soon.

I also want to thank the people that inspired me throughout my life: my grandmother: the late Sophia Matzdorff, my great-grandmother: the late Ellen “Omi” Matzdorff, my  great-grandfather: the late Dick Zinn, the late Bea Katz and my mentor: the late Isaac Zale.    Your memories and lessons that you taught me will live on as I continue to move forward in my adulthood.

 

Last, I want to say an ENORMOUSLY HUGE THANK YOU…to my three biggest cheerleaders:  Gloria, Matthew and Aaron Elyachar!  Thank you for being the best family in the entire universe and I cannot describe how much all three of you mean to me!

I hope I can continue to deliver quality content for the next 25 years.

All of my love,

Jacob