Jacob Arthur: prepared for the journey
Chris Pepple |
When asking peers and professors to describe Jacob Arthur, several words come up frequently: unique, talented, outstanding, exceptional. Arthur certainly seems to live up to those descriptions in all areas of his life. As a Lipscomb University senior, Arthur will graduate with honors in May majoring in both computer science and accounting. In August, he will also be among the first class of graduates for Lipscomb’s master of accountancy program.
Arthur excels in both the accounting and computing fields. “Students such as Jacob are rare. Dr. Ralph Butler and I were discussing students of his caliber who have come through the computing and information systems department in the last 25 years. We could only come up with a handful of students who work at the level Jacob does. He has been able to carry a 4.0 GPA while managing and running a very successful IT consulting business. It will be interesting to follow his career as I believe many great things are within his reach,” said Don Geddes, assistant professor and department chair for the department of computing and information systems.
“Clearly, Arthur is an outstanding student. He is extremely well prepared for each class and is a great team player in our program. He raises the level of any class he is a part of. He has so many options ahead of him in life,” said Perry Moore, professor of accounting, assistant director of graduate business programs and director of the master of accountancy program. Arthur’s career options seems boundless to those who know him.
In one sense, Arthur has already created an ideal career path for himself. Since beginning his studies at Lipscomb, he drew upon his computing and accounting skills to create two companies that have already brought success as an entrepreneur to Arthur. He began working as a freelance computing consultant during his freshman year in high school. From this work, he founded ATS which is in its eighth year of business. Arthur works with several local firms to meet their server and systems management needs. He designs and manages servers for their parent and branch offices, including several offices overseas, and also handles security audits for many of his clients.
“When I was in high school, I started my consulting work and realized that I was doing well with it and helping people with their computing needs. It started with me working with an elder in my church, but now I have managed and supported systems in Argentina, Germany, Singapore and Australia. I also handle security auditing for several organizations both in town and abroad,” said Arthur.
The summer after his freshman year in college, Arthur created Parantur Services Corporation designed to help students improve their standardized test performance. Parantur, Latin for “they are prepared,” offers classes specifically designed to help students improve their ACT test scores. Students receive study, writing and test-taking strategies and are given a full-length diagnostic exam. Arthur wrote software to evaluate students’ strengths on each section of the exam. He generates detailed statistical reports which allow schools to see their strengths and weaknesses in their preparedness for the ACT.
“This work is really rewarding for me,” said Arthur. “I enjoy teaching. It’s fun to see someone find ways to reach their potential academically. I also enjoy hearing back from parents and students who have raised their ACT score high enough to get in their college of choice or get a more substantial scholarship. During the first two years of Parantur’s operation, we saw an average ACT score increase of 2.9 points among students who had previously taken the exam. That increases chances of college acceptance and increases the potential for scholarship money.”
Parantur and ATS are not the only career options waiting ahead for Arthur. Several accountants are impressed with his business abilities and see many career paths open for him. “Jacob Arthur is one of our very outstanding Master of Accountancy students who excels in virtually every aspect of life. During his internship at Frasier, Dean & Howard, he contributed significantly to every assigned project, maintained excellent relationships with both fellow professionals and corporate employees, and applied his technical expertise and experience to complex projects. Also, during his undergraduate accounting program, Jacob performed consulting and technology services for restaurants, healthcare companies, and others. He is one of the most gifted students I have ever taught. Additionally, he commits time and energy to school mission projects and has been an integral part of the Lipscomb community for many years,” said Charles Frasier, professor of accounting and chair of the department.
Arthur made a commitment to himself that academics and his business career would not dominate all of his time. The social aspect of college and the opportunities to serve others have remained an important part of his life. He is an active Sigma Iota Delta member and will participate in Singarama this year, making this his third appearance in the program. He served as an Impact counselor for two years and twice traveled to the City of Children in Mexico to serve there over spring break.
Arthur began attending David Lipscomb Campus School in third grade when his mother, Hazel Arthur, took a position with Lipscomb’s social work department. His father, Walt, is a systems analyst and programmer and introduced Arthur to computers at an early age. Arthur also played on Lipscomb’s football team in high school. The team won the state championship his junior year and returned to the state finals to finish as runner-up his senior year.
“I’ve been incredibly blessed in life. I have support and encouragement from my parents and have had many wonderful opportunities at Lipscomb. It’s rewarding to feel that I can use the talents God gave me to help others. I think sometimes my parents worry, as all parents do I guess, that I’ve taken on too much. I’m not ready to slow down yet, though.” `