This week’s HCX Campus Celebrity is Jacob Fass! He’s a third-year studying English and economics on exchange from America, and he recently participated in Jailbreak Exeter, a charity event that involves getting as far away from Exeter as possible in 30 hours using no money other than what you’ve raised. Jacob’s team made it to Croatia, which we think is pretty impressive.
What initially inspired you to get involved with Jailbreak?
I’ve been studying abroad at Exeter for 6 months, and I’ve met tons of incredible people—having the opportunity to come here has been such a privilege. I wanted to give back to the community, and Jailbreak sounded like a fun way to raise money for some important causes, as well as a great challenge.
How much money did you end up raising through Jailbreak?
I was on a two-person team, and each of us was required to raise a hundred pounds. Between the two of us we’ve now raised nearly five hundred pounds.
Can you tell us a bit about some of the causes you’re supporting?
All the money we’ve raised has gone toward the Exeter RAG Society, which supports several charities. One of them is the Children’s Rainbow Trust, which provides support for children with terminal illnesses as well as their families, and another is Concern Universal, which combats poverty in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
What was the hardest part about getting to and from Croatia?
Continually raising money in all sorts of locations, from Exeter St. David’s to London Paddington to Heathrow, was pretty daunting, along with figuring out travel logistics at the last minute. But we were really impressed by how generous and supportive people were. We weren’t expecting that.
What was your favorite part of the whole adventure?
We had a lot of fun in Croatia, but I think just landing at Zagreb Airport and fully realizing that we were there, and that not only did neither of us speak the language, there were also no tourists, English-speaking or otherwise, was pretty overwhelming. It could have been really bad, but all the people we met were so welcoming and wanted us to have a good time.
Finally, what advice would you give people who want to participate in Jailbreak next year?
Go for it! Regardless of where you end up, you will get so much out of the experience. It sounds intimidating, but you would be surprised at how far people get every single year. And don’t be afraid to ask for money. It’s for a great cause, and there are a lot of really generous people out there if you just ask.
Jacob’s team is still accepting donations on behalf of the Exeter Rag Society until March 28th—follow this link if you’re interested in helping them out!