Jacob‘s archery journey began back in sixth grade when his dad bought him a compound bow, in hopes that the two would eventually go archery hunting together. Unfortunately, living in Arizona meant that stepping outside to shoot was practically a survival challenge, so his archery career was put on hold before it could really begin. Fast forward to his freshman year at UCSD, Jacob had made it through an entire fall quarter without joining a single club. After some encouragement (or perhaps a gentle intervention) from his parents over winter break, he decided to give archery another shot. With a little experience already under his belt, he found Sun God Archery, started showing up to practices, and somehow never stopped coming back.
Joining SGA halfway through the academic year wasn't necessarily the easiest experience. By winter quarter, many of the freshmen had already found their friend groups, leaving Jacob to navigate a club where it seemed like everyone already knew each other. Despite this, he continued showing up, sometimes without even talking to anyone. It wasn't until later that year, when he decided to step outside his comfort zone and travel to Sacramento for a tournament with the team, that things really began to change. What started as a somewhat intimidating trip turned into one of his favorite experiences, giving him the chance to get closer to his teammates and finally find the community he had been looking for. From that point on, the friendships only continued to grow, and SGA became much more than just a place to shoot arrows.
Over his four years with the club, Jacob became both an accomplished compound archer and a familiar face on the SGA board. Serving as Treasurer from 2024 to 2026 and earning his USA Archery Level 3 coaching certification, Jacob contributed to the club while also collecting an impressive number of medals along the way. From podium finishes at WROCC to team medals at SIACC, he has certainly had his fair share of competitive success. However, despite all the accomplishments, Jacob has always valued the people standing beside him more than the medals hanging around his neck. Whether it was celebrating on the podium with teammates, surviving questionable weather conditions, or collectively complaining about the wind as if that would somehow convince it to stop, the experiences he shared with others are what made every competition worthwhile.
When asked what he cherishes most about SGA, Jacob didn't point to a particular tournament or victory. Instead, it was all the little moments in between. The long car rides to competitions, the random conversations on the shooting line, the people he got to share podiums with, and the countless hours spent doing absolutely nothing productive besides hanging out with friends. Looking back, what Jacob is most proud of isn't necessarily how much he improved as an archer, but how far he came from being the freshman who would show up to practice without knowing anyone. Through a little persistence and a willingness to put himself out there, he found a place where he truly belonged and built friendships that will last well beyond his time as an undergraduate.
As for what comes next, Jacob isn't quite ready to leave UCSD just yet. He'll be sticking around for another year and a half to pursue his Master's in Computer Science, giving him a little more time before having to face the terrifying reality that is the current job market. What happens after that remains to be seen, but hopefully the job market decides to be a little nicer by then. Regardless of where life takes him, we want to thank Jacob for his years of dedication to Sun God Archery, both as our Treasurer and as a teammate. From the quiet freshman who barely knew anyone to the person who found a community he could call his own, Jacob's journey is a reminder that sometimes all it takes is showing up, putting yourself out there, and getting into a car headed to Sacramento with a bunch of people you barely know. We wish him the best in graduate school and whatever comes after, and hopefully he'll continue showing up to the field every now and then!
