Jarrod Eckard's senior yearbook at Vandalia Community High School predicted he would become a state police officer. But sometimes the most meaningful discoveries happen when we're not looking for them. For Jarrod, that discovery came in an accounting classroom, where a simple elective would reshape his entire future.

"I just signed up for the accounting class there at the high school and the teacher at the time actually was like, you're really good at this," Jarrod recalls. "Then I found myself often helping teach some of the other kids in the class how to do it, assisting them with the projects and just came natural."

That natural ability led him to think practically about his future. "I'd always been preferential to the math classes anyway," he explains. "I was like, well, you can still be a state police officer with an accounting degree, so I'll do that. And I just stuck with the accounting side of things."

Today, Jarrod serves as controller at Beverly Farm Foundation in Godfrey, Illinois, a historic nonprofit that has provided long-term care for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities since the 1890s. The organization's large campus, complete with a horse arena and multiple homes, serves about 265 residents from across the country—some who've lived there since birth, others who arrived after life-changing accidents.

"Some of the residents even have degrees and had professional careers until said accidents or life events brought them here," Jarrod explains. The work gives him a sense of purpose that goes far beyond balancing ledgers. "You really see the impact and you feel like your work is meaningful. There's staff that have worked here 50 years and it's really crazy, the love that people get for the residents. It feels more like a family aspect rather than that employee dynamic."

Jarrod's path to this meaningful work wasn't without its challenges. Growing up as an only child to parents who had him as teenagers, he witnessed firsthand what determination and commitment could accomplish. "They had me as teenagers, so they had the rough end, building their careers, still going to school, raising a child, and they were able to find success, stay together through all of that, raise me," he reflects. "So they're my big idols overall."

While he may have been an only child, Jarrod never lacked for companionship. "I did grow up with tons of cousins. Both my parents have siblings who all had multiple kids. So I was an only child, but felt like I always had brothers and sisters because of hanging out with my cousins all the time. Oftentimes they were living next to us. So just walk across the street and you'd be hanging out with your cousins."

This built-in friend circle extended into his high school years, where Jarrod found his place on the football team. "I loved the camaraderie, hanging out with teammates. Looking back, the stuff I miss the most is like the practices, hanging out with everybody, team dinners." Those connections proved lasting—he's still friends with some teammates today.

After graduating in 2015, Jarrod chose a practical path that kept him close to home. He commuted to Kaskaskia College for his associate degree while working at the Vandalia movie theater, then continued to SIU Edwardsville for his bachelor's degree. Eventually, he landed an accounting position in Effingham, creating a demanding schedule of commuting one direction for work and another for school. "Lots of driving, a lot of interstate time, and podcasts, that's for sure," he laughs.

In Effingham, Jarrod found more than just a job—he discovered a mentor who would shape his professional philosophy. "My first boss, his name was Matt Siconder, and I mean, he was a really great mentor. He was very passionate about accounting, and we had a pretty small team, so we were all pretty close. It didn't feel like you were just like a cog in the machine." Siconder emphasized building confidence, making decisions, and asking questions—lessons Jarrod now passes on to his own staff.

"I find myself teaching those same concepts to my staff now," he says. That love of mentoring has him considering a future in academia. "In the future, I would like to be a professor of some sort of accounting down the line."

Jarrod's personal life reflects the same intentionality that has guided his career. He met his wife Madeline, also an accountant, while attending SIUE. Originally from Oscoda, Michigan, Madeline has family connections to Marshall, Illinois, making their frequent trips to visit both sets of parents a natural part of their routine. "My parents still reside there, so I'm probably there maybe once every month at least," Jarrod says of his Vandalia visits.

The couple is focused on building a strong foundation for their future family. "We're both focused on our career right now and actually just trying to pay down things like the mortgage and stuff ahead of time," Jarrod explains. "Allow us to have more flexibility when it comes to parenting."

As his ten-year reunion approaches this summer, Jarrod looks forward to reconnecting with classmates, many of whom are now married with children. When asked what made Vandalia special, he points to something that can't be manufactured: consistency and deep relationships.

"Just the fact that it's generally a small town, I feel like that is a big part of their relationships you build. There wasn't many new people coming in and out of classes. You grew up with the same group of people your whole life." He contrasts this with larger schools: "I couldn't imagine going with a class of a thousand versus a class of 90 to 100."

Reflecting on his journey from uncertain teenager to confident professional, Jarrod's advice centers on courage. "Maybe just I think I would just have told myself to have more confidence because at that time, I was facing the fear of, I don't know what I want to do with my life. But I think if I would have just had more confidence, it would have made some decisions easier."

For today's graduates, his message is similar: "Don't fear the unknown. Failure isn't a bad thing. It leads to growth and can even lead to more opportunity."

Recently, Beverly Farm Foundation demonstrated the power of community support when they raised $860,000 in donations during a 24-hour fundraising campaign—money that directly impacts residents' lives through improvements like accessible transit vans. For Jarrod, seeing those tangible results reinforces why he chose to stay in work that matters.

"You really see the big picture. You see the smiles on the residents' faces, you see how donations come in and benefit them," he says. "You really see the impact."

From a small-town accounting classroom to managing the finances of a organization that serves hundreds of vulnerable residents, Jarrod Eckard's story proves that sometimes the most meaningful paths are the ones we discover along the way. His journey from uncertainty to purpose shows that with confidence, mentorship, and a willingness to embrace the unknown, a Vandalia education can take you exactly where you need to go.