Excellence on Every Stage

From the classroom to the world stage, Jacob Brower ’26 has pursued excellence with discipline, humility, and perseverance. His journey shows what can happen when talent is matched with hard work and a willingness to embrace new opportunities.

When Jacob Brower graduated from Coram Deo Academy in the spring, he left with an accomplishment few can claim: a place among the top 10 taekwondo competitors in the world. After achieving a top 10 ranking in the world for combat sparring and Xtreme Forms, he is now headed to compete for a world title at the Tournament of Champions.

Brower competed in 12 tournaments during his senior year and still managed to graduate summa cum laude, demonstrating the same discipline in the classroom that has made him successful on the mat. At just 14 years old, he began teaching taekwondo, and today he instructs students ranging from preschoolers to adults.

Since joining CDA in sixth grade, he has appreciated the flexibility of the collaborative model, which allowed him to balance rigorous academics with self-directed training and ademanding competition schedule. At the start of his senior year, he was selected for the statewide Xtreme Demo Team and began training two to five hours each Saturday to prepare to compete for a world championship title.

Whether studying while on the way to a tournament or using breaks on his home days to practice, he has learned to take ownership of both his education and his athletic pursuits.

Beyond academics, the relationships he formed at CDA have left a lasting impact. He especially credits Mrs. Vowell for teaching him to read different types of literature, which has shaped the way he thinks. Spanish, which he studied for four years, became one of his favorite subjects because of the encouragement of his teacher, Senora Bergstrom. He also points to the school’s Christ-centered community— including close friendships, worship nights that took place on campus, and meaningful relationships with teachers—as an important part of his faith journey.

As Vice President of the House of Luther, he enjoyed investing in younger students and serving alongside his peers. Since graduating, Brower has continued building on an already remarkable year, capturing District Championship titles in Combat Sparring and XMA Forms and returning from his second mission trip to Guatemala, where he served alongside fellow CDA families.

Looking ahead to attending Samford University, where he has already found a place to continue training, Brower encourages younger students to embrace new opportunities.

“I never imagined I’d end up here,” he says. “It all started with one taekwondo class when I was 10 years old. Try something new—you never know where it might lead.”