Jon Hoffman

When Jon gets bogged down in the details of a campus planning project, he refocuses by returning to campus and talking with students. “I’m inspired by their enthusiasm and self-motivation to become leaders and make a difference in society,” he says. He’s pleased that his work indirectly improves the multifaceted success of students—not only by improving the learning experience, but also by increasing the efficiency of campus facilities, “which helps slow the rise in tuition and student loans,” he notes. Jon’s own university experience included a semester abroad. Since his school didn’t have a program, he enrolled himself at a German university—and got more education than he bargained for. “I thought my German skills were sufficient, but quickly realized I had overestimated my abilities,” he recalls. “I found ways to make it work and discovered a well of self-reliance I didn’t know I had. I returned home a changed man.”