After years of legal service in the U.S. Army, Jaime Jacobson G’25 is continuing her commitment to public service through academia. Jacobson is currently a pursuing a master’s degree in higher education in the School of Education and draws a strong connection between her military experience and her future supporting college students.
Before commissioning into the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General Corps (JAG Corps), Jacobson’s professional path was already rooted in advocacy.
“I did my undergraduate degree at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and worked for a few years as a case manager for a nonprofit agency, particularly helping victims of domestic abuse,” says Jacobson.
That passion carried through into law school at Northeastern University in Boston, where she focused on legal assistance. The military came into view soon after through family influence.
“I have two cousins that were both in the Army,” Jacobson says. “One was having some interesting legal issues, and he was describing his experiences with the legal assistance office, which initially got me looking at joining the service.”
The defining moment, however, came after witnessing the military’s care during a family tragedy.
“My other cousin had a traumatic experience in the family, and I watched his unit sort of descend on his household and take care of everything for him and his wife,” Jacobson recalls. “That kind of solidified it for me, if I was going to provide legal assistance then these are the people…this is the group that I really wanted to serve.”