User:RomanDeluxe/Jacob J. Roman

Jacob J. Roman is an established local actor and musician, recently making his way into other art fields, including painting and film. He has been recently been depicted as the unofficial American Dream, and has created a nonprofit film organization that is internationally known. Though, only currently 20 years old, he has grown to become one of South Dakota's rising stars and promises to become a more prominent name in the art world.

Early Life
Jacob John Roman-Wahl was born to Theresa Roman and Daniel Wahl on December 17, 1989 in the small town of Tohma, Wisconsin. With only his mother working for most of his young life, Jake would grow up in modest conditions with his loving father and brother, Ben. Through tough economic squeezes, and multiple occasions of acohol abuse, the Roman family was the very embodiment of the American struggle. The family would find themselves moving quite a bit though (From Wisconsin, Utah, to Washington State), as Theresa would find jobs in the growing retail market. By 1996, she had successfully run a Shopko store in Pullman, Washington, and her reputation for honesty and hardwork would not only carry her through her working career, but would also leave an imprint on her two young sons.

In 1999, the Roman family found themselves packing up their valuables and moving once again, this time to a place that would become the prominent home for the ever-growing Ben and Jake; South Dakota. Though, they would find themselves moving to different homes, it was in SD where the two boys would become productive and artistcally reknown men. Jake attended several schools in South Dakota, forming some friendships that would carry on into his early success. But his personal growth didn't occur until late in to his highschool years, while attending Sturgis Brown High School.

High School
Like his brother, Jake attended SBHS. For his first two years, little was known about the artistically driven young man, as economic pressures on the family, and Jake's nervousness made him virtually unknown to anyone. However, determined to make an impact, Jake particpated in the high school band, playing trumpet. It was this practice and training that would serve as the first stepping stone to future endeavors. After playing for the SBHS concert band for one year, Jake was asked to participate in the Northern Hills Community Band by his instructor Gary Nelson. He would participate in this band for the next 3 years, as well. He was also asked to play in the Black Hills State University Band. By the time he was a junior, Jake had become a surprise talent at the highschool, as he had been accepted to play in the Symphonic Band at the highschool, along with the jazz band, and had been playing with the Chadron State College Festival band as well. This was also the time where Jake's acting abilities has started to rise.

While a sophomore, Jake finally got permission of his parents to follow his brother's footsteps into the world of Speech & Debate. After attending his first tournament, and placing within the top 3, Jake was hooked. His piece, focused on a Middle-Eastern philanderer, though short, earned him a spot on the varsity team, and helped him concentrate on his newly developing acting skills. By the end of his season, Jake has been placed as an alternate in the national tournament. It was also around this time that Jake was brought to national attention, as the Sturgis Highschool band performed the Star-Spangeled Banner in Kansas City at a Kansas City Royals baseball game. However, it was at this time that his first girl friend, Sarah Aker, would break up with him, throwing Jake into a tailspin of depression and falling out.

His junior year of highschool was a time of bouncing back. Though struggling in his beloved Speech & Debate, Jacob was determined to come out of his slump with whatever it took to do so. Even though after losing many tournaments, by the time the disctrict competition took place at the end of the second season, Jake had begun to reclaim some of his victories, and was able to break the semi-finals round, but falling short again to the national tournament. However, he had recently found a new love, and a new love interest. His relationship with girlfriend, Lacy Clements, provided Jake with a stable relationship has he had begun to put his life back into order. And with a little persuasion, she had convinced him to try out for his first real theatre production, "The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood," where he landed the part as the Sherriff of Nottingham. Jake was found saying that "Robin Hood was about the best part of my high school career. I mean, it really woke me up.  I loved it, every second of it.  I found what I wanted to do." However, it was also this year where Jake would find himself with a performance he couldn't act his way out of.

During homecoming week, Jake, and his friends and speech & debate partners, Genneca Froelich, and Beau Elliot auditioned for the spot of masters of ceremonies. With no preparation, the three landed the audtion (being the only ones to try out) and were asked to provide an hour worth of material. They unfortunately, never prepared or practice anything. So by the time of corination of the king and queen, the were handed a quickly thrown together script and were pushed out into the gymnasium. After a few quick skits with little laughs, it was finally time to announce the royalty, which was given to Jake to announce. Silence turned into anger as every name articulated by Jake was pronounced incorrect, and at times, terrible butchered. One heckler finally yelled: "Hey, read the names right!!" Jake, now starting to find humor in his mistakes, replied "No," and continued 'reading.' It was this incident that cemented Jacob's style of humor. A style which would carry on into the development of the rest of his young adult life.

By the time his senior year has swung around, Jake had finally become known around the school and area as the new 'funny-man.' Enlisting himself in nearly everything he could, audiences found Jake's presence ammusing and welcome, despite the mishap at corination. After landing the lead roles in several productions in the drama department, Jacob was determined to finish his year off with something spectacular. He, with a little help from his friends and his father, created a skit for the annual variety show; "Jacob Roman, the Greatest Magician in the Universe." With two showings, the show was instantly a hit amoung the Sturgis area, and by the time the variety show was over, it was once agian a chance for Jake to compete in the annual districts tournament for Speech & Debate. All throughout the year, he had improved, and once a vast amount of awards. Jacob made it to the final round, where he gave one of his best performances with his piece, "The Merchandise King," a spoof off of Disney's "The Lion King." Unfortunately, even with all of his hard work, Jake got 4th place in the tournament overall, which meant he was first alternate of the nationals tournament in Las Vegas. He never got to go. But with scholarships and a few years of experience in acting, painting, and playing and singing music, Jacob Roman would undergo a new growth in his life, a transformation. As he rounded off the rough edges of his talents, Jake would become a new Dream.

Jacob J. Roman III
As Jake graduated from high school with honors, he took on a new persona, Jacob J. Roman III. A character, like himself, but who was more abbrasive, and arrogant. This new person allowed Jake to explore the possibilities of becoming a new person, while at the same time, keeping his identity. He enrolled in Black Hills State University, with intentions of transfering to a bigger school, once the opportunity arose. His freshmen year at the college was a quiet one. Where his new persona had come from in high school had very much changed, if not dissapeared from the very introverted person Jake had become. Distanced from friends, Jake found a small appartment across the street from the university, in an attempt to reconnect. Unfortunately, he soon learned that everything had changed, and he was now, very much so, alone.

This next year of his life would be filled with dissapointment, rejection, and ultimately a crippling depression that almost forced Jake off his path to his dreams. Concentrating largely on music, Jake became a hermit and was very rarely seen, until he was given advice from his father. Seeing his son in such a state, his father knew that Jake had lost something crucial to his development, which was his love for acting. He encouraged Jake to try out for the upcoming performances. However, it wouldn't be until the Fall of that year did Jake finally build up the courage to find his old footsteps again.

Jake got a modest role as Mr. Mara in the play "Miracle on 34th Street." "Being in front of an audience again has awoken something up in me. I can't explain it.  I feel as though I need to be up there." And he soon would. Jake became heavily envolved in the university's theatre department and eventually joined the Improv troupe, and the Summer Stage. It seemed as though Jacob J. Roman III had made a comeback and was delighting audiences time and time again.