Mark A. Jacobson

Mark hailed from Monroe, WI, a little town in southern Wisconsin known for its Swiss cheese and high school football. From early on Mark knew he wanted to be an accountant, and while his grades in college were not always as good as he hoped they would be he never gave up on his goals.

Mark started his college career at UW Whitewater and like many students by his second year he knew he would have to work harder and smarter in order to make it in to the college of business. His determination was strong but he soon realized that he needed to make some changes if he wanted a career in accounting.

Mark transferred to UW La Crosse his junior year and embraced the opportunities that the school and staff offered. He became very involved in the accounting club and worked closely with John Gardner in the VITA organization. He loved visiting the accounting firms and listening to speakers talk about the CPA exam. Mark gave 110% to his studies and involvement in the accounting groups, however school was never easy for him. He was never an “A” student and yes there were a couple of classes he had to take over.

During the summer months Mark worked for a lumber company in his hometown, which proved to be the perfect experience to land him his first official job after graduation. Mark accepted a position as accounting manager for large building contractor in southern Wisconsin. After several years with the company, Mark began to miss the La Crosse area and accepted a job as Controller for Brickl Brothers in West Salem.

After settling in at his new job, Mark began to seek out accounting professionals in the La Crosse area. It was during this time that he became involved with IMA. Mark enjoyed networking and he served as employment director and VP of professional education for the organization.

Mark loved to play as well as work. From a very young age, he became a diehard Pittsburgh Steelers fan and he had the privilege of watching them play in Super Bowl XXX against the Dallas Cowboys. He collected sports memorabilia and had a baseball signed by Pete Rose. He also enjoyed playing golf, tennis, and softball, and Top Gun was his favorite movie.

When Mark was diagnosed with terminal cancer, he wanted something good to come out of his death. He wanted to help other students who were struggling through school just like he did. Before his death, he created 2 perpetual scholarships, one at his high school and one at UW- La Crosse. His main focus in creating these scholarships was to encourage students who might not be “Honor Roll” students to not give up on their dreams. He wanted to recognize them for their efforts and hard work, not their GPA.