Because of His Own Journey, Thanksgiving Means More to Alumnus
Jacob Scallorn, ’15, has a lot to be thankful for — and he’ll be the first to admit it.
About 15 years ago, he was a deep in the cycle of addiction. He had lost seven jobs in eight months and wrecked his car twice. “God put me on the bench,” is how he puts it.
But then something amazing happened — Scallorn said he entered rehab and it changed not just his physical health, but his mental wellbeing. He began to say “yes” to doing hard things and to devoting time and effort to accomplishing goals.
He started college courses, something he said he could not previously imagine doing — first at Johnson County Community College, and then at Rockhurst University after receiving a full tuition scholarship.
“If you’re willing to do the work, there’s nothing you can’t do,” he said of the lessons he learned during that time. “Rockhurst is a place that speaks to how life can change if you let it. I didn’t know a place like this existed, and I never would have thought it was for me. But now I see it’s a place where a bunch of people who have been blessed, and they are trying to share that to make the world better.”
There were a lot of people — from his family to faculty at Rockhurst to the others in his Lawrence, Kansas, based Alcoholics Anonymous group — who supported him in large and small ways along that journey. And Scallorn said he’s never forgotten them.
That time at Rockhurst was transformative, not just because he earned a degree — Scallorn threw himself into the experience of being a student. He formed lasting interpersonal relationships with faculty members from chemistry to criminal justice to English. He walked on to the Hawks baseball team at age 29.
After completing his degree at Rockhurst, Scallorn met his wife before pursuing veterinary school at Kansas State University. Life intervened, and, to take care of his now-growing family, Scallorn got back to work in sales. While working from home during the pandemic, he was asked to fix a friend’s parents’ fence as a favor. Recognizing a huge demand for such services, Scallorn said he started contacting customers directly via direct messages on Facebook. The work grew quickly — he first hired one employee to help him, then a few more.
“Eventually, the pandemic settled,” he said, “and I think I accidentally started this company.”
Now known as JLS Craftsmen, the company has been recognized by the Kansas City Business Journal as one of the metro area’s 50 fastest growing companies. Scallorn said the way he approaches his business is based on integrity and ethics, inspired in equal measure by Rockhurst’s core values and a Catholic social teaching course taught by President Emeritus the Rev. Thomas Curran, S.J., as well as what he learned in recovery.
“We talk all the time about doing the next right thing,” he said. “So that’s really what I try to do.”
It’s a perspective that extends beyond his business — gratitude motivates Scallorn to give back. Each Thanksgiving, he rents his church and hosts his family Thanksgiving there, with an open invitation on Facebook for anyone who wants or needs a place to go.
“It’s not a huge undertaking,” he said. “You just literally show up and be a part of it. But I’ve been blessed beyond measure, and I know there are people who are in need. I ask myself, ‘Can you help that person?’ And if the answer is yes, you better help that person.”
