Congratulations to Mindy Jacox, a young genealogist from Kaysville, Utah, recipient of the 2017 Suzanne Winsor Freeman Memorial Student Grant and SCGS Jamboree Student Scholarship.
If you are attending the Jamboree, please look for Mindy to say “Hello” and “Congratulations” or leave a note for her in the comments or on the Facebook page.
Mindy is attending the DNA Day and Genealogy Jamboree and will be presented with the award at the Saturday night conference banquet. She is the seventh recipient of the annual Freeman Student Genealogy Grant $500 cash award, and the Jamboree scholarship.
A recent graduate of Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, Mindy majored in Family History/Genealogy specializing in computer science and Germanic research. She currently works as a Data Analyst for FamilySearch and is CoDirector of the summer BYU myFamilyHistory Youth Camp.
Like many genealogists, Mindy credits her interest in family history to her family:
As a young child as I listened to my parents tell me stories of their lives and those of their family members who had gone before. I nicknamed these stories “trues” and looked forward to new stories every night. Hearing their stories increased my desire to learn about my ancestors. . . Their hardships, successes, and everyday lives motivated me to pursue this field and dedicate my life to this work
Mindy’s volunteer and leadership experience include working on the German Immigrants in American Church Records project, serving on the Nauvoo Community Project as student supervisor and project lead, and working as s RootsTech volunteer.
Although she is a first-timer at the SCGS Jamboree, she has been a presenter at local and national conferences on genealogy research topics since 2014.
“My primary genealogical goal is to use the skills and knowledge I have gained to help others have success in their family history research,” Mindy writes. “I hope to be an ambassador of family history work as I assist them in reaching their goals. I hope to spread to others, especially youth that family history is fun and exciting!
Please join me in congratulating Mindy!
About the Grant Program: The Suzanne Winsor Freeman Genealogy Grant Program was established in 2011 to help young family historians pursue their genealogy research and educational goals. In recognition of Suzanne Freeman’s enthusiasm for the nationally recognized Jamboree, the award is directed toward a student attending the SCGS Jamboree. Suzanne Winsor Freeman was the mother of genealogy blogger Denise Levenick, www.theFamilyCurator.com. For information about donating to the grant fund, please see SWF Grant.
About SCGS: The Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree has partnered with the grant program each year to offer complimentary conference registration to the award recipient. The annual Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree is an innovative leader in genealogy conferences offering webinars, live-streamed sessions, student registration rates, beginner education, and the DNA Day.
