Jake
West might not have been a star yet, but he loved to entertain.
His father said he can remember Jake as a two-year-old coming home from the movies and singing an entire song, complete with commentary, from “The Little Mermaid.” His mother remembers him imitating the Disney ducks and wearing pajama bottoms on his head to mimic long hair. He’d been bit by the acting bug.
The youngster grew up singing and dancing around the house, said his father, Bob West. Between his sophomore and junior years at Nettleton High School, Jake was chosen to participate in a state-funded program, “Summer Stage,” for students in the performing arts. In his junior year, he was elected state president of the Thespian Society.
He auditioned, along with several hundred other students, to be a part of the Governor’s School for Performing Arts. He was one of only 20 chosen, and was one of only two Jonesboro-area students to participate. He loved learning all aspects of the theatre—stage performance, directing, lighting and costume and set design. When it came time for college, Jake’s parents convinced him to stay close to home for the first year and attend Arkansas State University.
“He was completely engaged; he loved the program at ASU,” Bob said. “He was chosen to be in the spring musical as a freshman. The musical required that he be able to tap dance. He wasn’t a tap dancer, so he took lessons. He spent a lot of time out practicing tap on our deck.”
“He’d practice so long and so intensely, his feet would bleed,” said his mother, Stacy Dryer. “He’d come to me to bandage his feet. I asked him why he was putting himself through such pain, and he said that was the price he was glad to pay to do the part justice.”
Bob said Jake lived to entertain, and took great joy in making others happy. Both parents agreed Jake had a passion for learning and loved talking with anyone.
“Whenever he talked to others, he was engaged, focusing only on them,” Bob said. “He helped others grow. He went out of his way in making others feel comfortable and loved. He was always smiling.”
Bob said Jake especially loved entertaining children, and enrolled in summer school to have the opportunity to be a part of ASU’s Summer Children’s Theatre 2005. He was tapped as one of three elves in the play, “The Elves and the Shoemaker.”
On his way to the final dress rehearsal for the play, Jake died in an automobile accident. To honor their fellow cast member, the play’s cast, crew and director chose to go on with the play, because they believed that’s what Jake would have wanted. He would not have wanted the children to be disappointed.
To
honor Jake’s talent, energy and enthusiasm, friends and family have established
the Jake West Memorial Scholarship in ASU’s
College of Fine Arts for students
majoring in theatre.
“In only his freshman year, Jake showed great promise as a student/performer, and as an invaluable member of the ASU Theatre Company,” said Bob Simpson, chairman of the ASU Department of Theatre. “These traits, along with his enthusiasm and contagious personality, were the basis for his receiving ASU’s “Outstanding New Theatre Student” award this past spring. Jake raised the bar for future recipients of this award. He left some very large shoes to fill.”
To make an online gift to the Jake West Memorial Scholarship, which is listed under the “Developing and Annually Funded Scholarships” category, click here. Interested persons who may prefer to mail their gift may do so by sending their check, made out to the ASU Foundation, to University Development, P.O. Box 1990, State University AR 72467-1990.
“Because of his love for the theatre and his love for ASU, we thought the best thing we can do is to help other kids in Jake’s name,” Bob West said. “This scholarship will help us do that.”
“He was born with a light. He was an affectionate, happy kid. He wanted to entertain, not to be a star, but just to entertain.”
