Who are we, really? How is our identity defined? In our relationships with others, how people see us forms a mix of impressions—some true, others not so much. But knowing some isn’t just about knowing them; it’s also about how friends, family and mentors have shaped them. We know Daniel Jacob as a sophomore at CHS and one of our photography editors. But, through a series of interviews with those who know him best, we explored who Daniel Jacob is as a person.
Jack Lewis and Malcolm London – Friends
After being on The Communicator staff with Jacob for around a year, Jack Lewis and Malcolm London roomed with Jacob during the biannual journalism trip, and the trio bonded quickly.
Lewis describes Jacob as upbeat and very easy to be around. Lewis feels his personality has become more energetic due to Jacob. Lewis had been in classes with Jacob for over a year but had not really talked to him until a few months into this school year.
“I think the first impression that you get of him is kind of pretty raw, like his personality and his energy,” Lewis said. He believes this is one of the reasons he and Jacob bonded so fast.
“I appreciate the energy that he brings. He’s a funny guy. He brings this really good energy. Like a lot of it too, it makes it so easy to be around,” Lewis said.
London described Jacob as “a person times two,” with an infectious energy that uplifts the people around him. London enjoyed getting to room with Lewis and Jacob, and he felt that being able to spend so much time with Jacob helped London to get to know him.
“He’s a very open book,” London said. “If you get to know him, it’s not hard for him to open up. He’s not scared to tell people how he feels. I really admire that about him.”
Clara Freeth – Friend
Clara Freeth remembers meeting Jacob for the first time during lunch in Tracy’s room during Jacob’s freshman year. Jacob was joking around with one of Freeth’s close friends, and her initial reaction was, “Who is this boy with all the confidence?” After Freeth got to know Jacob, she realized how similar they were.
“I think we have similar personalities,” Freeth said. When we get to chatting, we’re going off of each other and it’s bad because I’m such an interrupter, but it’s okay because he is too.”
Freeth describes Jacob as a very driven, energetic and engaged person. She describes him as someone who has a lot of confidence. “[When] Daniel walks into a room he’s like, ‘I own this place,’” Freeth said. “I think that that’s kind of rare, and I think that it’s special.”
Courtney Kiley – Teacher
Courtney Kiley, Jacob’s FOS two teacher, adores having him as a student. He brings a positive vibe to her classroom and is willing to engage with just about anyone.
“He’s loved by everyone,” Kiley said. “Older kids think he’s cool. Younger kids look up to him.”
Kiley especially loves his down-to-earth attitude and his engagement in class. Even though she sometimes finds Jacob’s outgoingness distracting, she enjoys it just as much.
“He’s willing to engage with anyone about anything,” Kiley said. “He’s super talkative. And although sometimes that’s distracting, it’s just really refreshing. He’s not just sitting on his cell phone or his iPad.”
Gabe Seinfeld-Chop – Best Friend
Jacob and Gabe Seinfeld-Chop have known each other for a long time. Their families go on trips together, they’ve spent summers at sleepaway camp, and they often spend time at each other’s houses.
“If I’m having a bad day, he understands me and definitely is open to talk if I need help,” Seinfeld-Chop said.
Seinfeld-Chop thinks of Daniel Jacob as a person with a tendency to put others before himself and admires how hard he works at things he cares about. He is someone that Seinfeld-Chop feels he can always be himself around.
“I’ve hung out with him through family a million times and just me and him a million times,” Seinfeld-Chop said. “He’s literally always someone I can call if I want to hang out or talk; he’s really that kind of person who is always there for you.”
Max Rosewig – Friend
Max Rosewig met Jacob during their freshman year in Spanish. After only a few lectures, they were good friends.
“He kind of just makes friends everywhere he goes,” Rosewig said. “I feel like he’s very creative and kind of sporadic, but in the best way possible.”
Rosewig describes Jacob as someone who always brightens their day and lifts them up positively. They appreciate Jacob’s adventurousness, and the pair often find themselves discovering new places to take photos and hang out.
“He’s always down to do whatever,” Rosewig said. “He’s always excited about all kinds of things. He’s very energetic, and he livens things up whenever you hang out with him.”
Nate Green – Friend
Nate Green became friends with Jacob in middle school despite not having any classes with him. They met through a mutual friend and have stayed in touch ever since.
“I think one of his best qualities is how he can fit into any social event or circumstance without trying too hard,” Green said. “Something that I’ve learned from him is that whenever you’re walking into a new social setting, just be confident and outgoing, and you’ll fit in way faster.”
Green thinks of Jacob as a person who is naturally charming and super kind. His energy makes him stand out. One of his favorite memories with Jacob is a time they played tennis together at the Racquet Club, and the two often go downtown just to grab a bite to eat and talk.
“Since I met him, he’s that one person who’s always been there for me,” Green said. “He’s kind of been like a brother to me, and we’ve just built a super close relationship. And he’s just that one friend I can always count on whenever I need something.”
Oliver Selby – Friend
Oliver Selby has known Jacob since the summer before their eighth-grade year. After a few months, Selby feels like he has a grasp on Jacob’s character.After knowing Jacob for three years, Selby appreciates Jacob’s inner personality too.
“Daniel just kind of has a side to him that he doesn’t pronounce much,” Selby said. “I think around a lot of people, he likes to be funny or kind of a cool dude, but he just really has a kind side to him, and he genuinely cares about people. He wants to see what’s up with them and wants to really get to know people.”
Since the duo doesn’t attend the same school — Selby attends Pioneer High School, and Jacob attends CHS — Selby feels like he has to prioritize seeing Jacob. But that doesn’t stop them from having fun, and Selby believes it makes each time they see each other more special.
“His best quality is when there’s a problem, he’s really good at just solving it,” Selby said. “And he’s not afraid to put in work to fix things.”
Josh Jacob – Older Brother
Josh and Daniel Jacob are in two different grades at two different schools but are separated by only 18 months. They spent a lot of time together when they were younger and have started getting closer again now that Daniel is in high school. Daniel plays tennis, and he often attends Pioneer sports games to take pictures, which has helped him get closer to Josh through a mutual love of sports.
“Soccer is a big part of my life,” Josh said. “I feel like I kind of connect with him because I understand, sports-wise, when you don’t get something you want that you worked really hard for. I’ve heard him express that, and that resonates with me.”
However, sports aren’t the only thing they have in common. Josh has heard from some of his friends that he and Daniel also share similar mannerisms, like facial expressions and the way they speak, and he’s learned from Daniel to try new things and to always treat other people with respect.
“My parents always talk about [Jacob] like, “Oh, he talked to one of their adult friends, and they said they really liked him,” Josh said. “I think he’s really kind to people. I think that’s a quality that not everybody has, and it’s a little bit lost in today’s world. He cares about everybody, and new people who meet him always seem to really like him, because he’s nice to everybody.”
Daniel Jacob
After all the interviews were conducted about him, Jacob admits he doesn’t really think about what people perceive him as that often, yet he is curious to see what everyone said. He anticipated that the interviews conducted for this article would offer a wide scope of his life.
“I feel like we got a really good interview circle of the different people and different kinds of aspects of my life,” Jacob said.
He acknowledges that his personality changes depending on the place and people he’s with. He also emphasizes that this isn’t a bad thing but rather an undeniable part of human nature.
“There are so many different versions of me,” Jacob said. “And that’s kind of awesome.”
Who is Daniel Jacob? There is no right answer to this question. We can try to define people by how people perceive them, but at the end of the day, everyone has their own idea of Jacob in their head. He’s a student journalist and photography editor at CHS. He is a friend, a best friend, a brother. He’s a person who will continue to grow and change over time. He is uniquely Daniel Jacob, and that’s beautiful.
