Whether planting trees around Newark, Delaware, alongside his brothers in the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity or now volunteering his time to mentor current UD students with an interest in the legal field, Ray Jacobsen, AS71, has long connected being a Blue Hen with being involved in his community.

 “As an alumnus, I think I appreciate the University even more than I did as a student,” Jacobsen said. “I enjoy being a part of the UD community and interacting with University leadership because of the people who are there. They’re all committed to helping UD students in one way or another.”

So, when it comes to ensuring all Blue Hens have the same “A+” experience he did at the University, Jacobsen and his wife, Marilyn, AS72, are always ready to lend their time or philanthropic support for today’s students. This spring, when the Blue Hen Strong Fund launched, Jacobsen was among those who immediately stepped in with a contribution to help students who needed it the most. The fund assists students facing unforeseen circumstances as a result of the coronavirus pandemic by providing success grants to help cover tuition, access to technology and advancements to online learning tools, career-readiness support and so much more.

 “I think it’s really important that we show that you can attend and stay at UD once accepted. For students, the world is their oyster and there’s nothing that they can’t do at UD—there are professors that can help them, freshman who can learn from seniors and seniors who can reach out to freshman to help them through the process,” Jacobsen said. “It’s important for accepted students to succeed and graduate, no matter the situation, and the Blue Hen Strong Fund helps get them on their way.”

Ray and Mary Jacobsen are proud UD parents and members of the Parent and Family Leadership Council. Ray is also a member of the President’s Leadership Council.