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 Nathan Coe's mother worked at Jewish Family Services of
Columbus (JFS) before becoming a social worker with the City of
Columbus, but Coe said that when he was younger, his encounters
with JFS were pretty limited.
"I would work out at the Jewish Community Center across the
street, but that was about it. I never thought I would be
involved," said Coe.
Coe, a sophomore accounting and finance major at The Ohio State
University (OSU), received a Higher Education and Learning
Program (H.E.L.P.) grant from JFS.
A H.E.L.P. grant is an interest-free loan that JFS provides to
qualified student applicants for the purpose of paying for
tuition, room and board and other fees related to higher
education.
Coe said that the grant has helped him with both his short-term
and long-term financial situation. "By having the extra money,
it will make it easier for me to pay for school now and then
after graduation I will have less debt to pay off," Coe said.
Rather than worrying about financing his education, Coe stays
busy helping with the annual budget for his fraternity, Phi
Kappa Tau. Coe said that he enjoys assisting the treasurer of
the organization and that working with the $180,000 fund is good
experience.
Coe was recently elected vice president of his fraternity. He is
also involved with intramural sports and is the captain of Phi
Kappa Tau's football, basketball and softball teams.
Coe said that while he was recruited for some Division III
colleges to play football, he felt that a strong academic
reputation in his field was more important. That didn't stop him
from trying to get involved in athletics at OSU, though.
Coe went out as a defensive back on the Ohio State football
team, but like 55 out of the other 60 hopefuls at the open
tryout, he didn't make the team. "Not making the team wasn't a
huge blow. That's not why I was going to OSU," said Coe. "It was
still a good experience."
Coe is also a member of the Mount Leadership Society, a
service-based academic leadership program - he was one of the
approximately 100 incoming OSU freshmen selected to be part of
the program.
As part of the program, he spends time volunteering with the
Boys & Girls Club at Medary Elementary School.
Overall, Coe said that he was excited to be so involved with
campus life and to be leaving a visible mark behind. He also
mentioned that he has seen future NBA star and current OSU
center Greg Oden eating in one of the dining halls. "That's
pretty cool," Coe said, laughing.
"I love it at OSU. I feel like it's the perfect university for
me," said Coe.
http://jfscolumbus.org/
http://www.honors-scholars.ohio-state.edu/mount/
Nathan Coe Interview - February 21, 2007.
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