Jacob Groover said the belief that a single moment can define an entire life is an illusion.
“There are just small decisions,” he said. “Those decisions become daily actions, and those actions compound over time until they have the power to transform us into something entirely new.”
As someone who has navigated his own series of transformations, Groover speaks from experience.
A Collins Hill High School graduate, Groover enrolled in a Georgia university in 2010 and joined the Navy Reserve Officers’ Training Corps with hopes of commissioning into the Navy. But the path he envisioned shifted unexpectedly.
“Unfortunately, I was stubborn and pushed myself too hard,” he recalled. “I suffered a torn ligament that landed me in surgery in the ER, and repeated stress fractures in my legs that left me unable to walk for long periods or to run without considerable physical pain.”
Faced with a difficult choice, Groover stepped away from ROTC and transferred to Georgia Gwinnett College in 2012. He spent two years completing core classes before transferring again to pursue biomedical engineering. After several years of work and reflection, he realized he needed a new direction.
“I was deep enough into biomedical engineering to realize it was a lot more medicine and a lot less engineering and technology than I expected,” he said. “Meanwhile, I was looking back to my time at GGC with increasing fondness.”
Another fork in the road. Another small decision that would shape everything that followed.
Groover returned to GGC and changed his major to information technology – this time with a sense of clarity and ease.
“I knew I wanted to work in industry and felt that a degree in IT with a concentration in software development was the best fit to gain practical skills,” he said. “I had no idea when I made that choice how at home and welcome I would feel coming back to GGC. I can say with confidence I made the right choice.”
While pursuing his degree, Groover also served as a trauma counselor, a role rooted in his own path to healing.
The youngest of 12 children, Groover spent his early years in Stone Mountain before his family moved to Lawrenceville. When he was six, tragedy struck. His four-year-old sister, Emma, died in an accident on Lake Lanier, a loss that shaped his childhood.
“From my perspective then, I was her big brother, and I was supposed to protect her,” he said.
The weight of grief followed him for years, until he met a counselor who helped him confront his thoughts and begin to heal.
“I eventually healed by facing them,” he explained. “At first, it shocked me to realize they came about every ten seconds. I had to learn to stop every time that happened, reject the lie and accept the truth. After about six months, it started to work. After six years, the people I met were no longer able to believe me when I described what I used to be like.”
Helping others find that same freedom became a personal mission.
“It’s one thing to learn how to help yourself, and entirely another to learn how to help others,” Groover said. “I wanted to lift that weight for others who were burdened and give them a chance at the freedom and relief I had found.”
Today, Groover approaches the future with gratitude – and a clear vision. He looks forward to entering the IT industry after graduating December 12 from GGC with a bachelor’s degree in information technology, carrying with him the lessons and relationships that have shaped his journey.
He says GGC played a defining role in that transformation.
“To me, GGC is a shining beacon of light in the world,” he said. “I feel that I have truly found people who understand me here, who accept me, who rejoice when I triumph, stand by me when I struggle, and who challenge me to see things in new ways. Here I have had the privilege of meeting unrivaled mentors whose wisdom, passion, insights and care have reinforced my resolve, prepared me for my future and forever changed my life.”