The latest addition to our series of Stover Alumni Spotlights features Jacob Nicholas.
Q: What are you doing now?
Upon undergraduate graduation in 2022, I joined the Finance Management Rotation (FMR) program at UPMC. The FMR program was a three-year accelerated leadership development program that involved working for three different finance teams at UPMC in 12-month rotations. During the program, I worked on teams supporting our hospitals, insurance products and physician groups. My time in the program provided me with broad exposure to the healthcare industry and numerous opportunities to learn from tremendous leaders. Two of my roles were in Pittsburgh and my final year was in Harrisburg, but I moved back to Pittsburgh in June 2025. I am now a Senior Financial Analyst on the corporate financial planning & analysis (FP&A) team at UPMC.
I also enjoy participating in local sports leagues (soccer, volleyball, softball, kickball, dodgeball and cornhole) in Pittsburgh and actively participating at Renaissance Church in the Friendship neighborhood of Pittsburgh.
Q: Have you pursued any graduate education?
During my senior year, it was recommended to me to pre-apply for the MBA program at Waynesburg University. I was able to take 6 credits of graduate courses my senior year. I continued working toward my MBA part-time while at UPMC and graduated in 2024.
Q: Where have you worked or served since graduation?
I’ve been privileged to serve on the Board of Trustees at Waynesburg University since July 2024. Being a recent graduate has given me a unique perspective of being closer to the student experience at WU. I hope to provide relevant insights and represent the perspective of both current students and recent alumni as the Board strives to guide University leadership to remain committed to its mission of “[educating] students to make connections between faith, learning and serving so they might faithfully transform their communities and the world.”
Through partnerships at UPMC, I have also had the opportunity to support the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania over the last three years.
The Stover Program has provided me with a critical framework and worldview that will benefit me personally and professionally for the rest of my life.
Q: How did the Stover Program help prepare you for success?
The Stover Program has provided me with a critical framework and worldview that will benefit me personally and professionally for the rest of my life. Whether it was dialoguing with fellow Stovers about moral and political issues or listening to our numerous distinguished guest speakers share about their experiences, my time in the Stover Program shaped me into a better leader, more complete thinker and more considerate person.
Q: Anything else you would like to share?
The Stover Scholars Program has made an undeniable impact on my life. It provided me with incredible friends who have challenged me to be a better version of myself — during my undergraduate career and beyond. The program provides unparalleled opportunities to thoroughly explore the current and historical significance of the U.S. Constitution and its implications on numerous arenas of American life. I will forever cherish being a member of the Stover Program.
About the Stover Center for Constitutional Studies and Moral Leadership
Waynesburg University's Stover Center for Constitutional Studies and Moral Leadership is an interdisciplinary scholarly center dedicated to bringing insights from the U.S. Constitution's Founding Era and from Christianity to bear in the contemporary public square, with the ultimate goal of creatively transforming the ethical state of the polis.
About Waynesburg University
Consistently ranked a best value school, Waynesburg University’s Strategy for the 21st Century affirms its commitment to developing an entrepreneurial mindset and ethical leadership skills for all students. Rooted in its mission of faith, learning and service, the private, Christian university is located on a traditional campus in the hills of southwestern Pennsylvania.
