Indiana University Athletics
Kleimola Strives for Academic Excellence
3/27/2019 3:30:00 PM | Wrestling
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – As a six-year-old kid growing up in Schererville, Ind., sophomore Jake Kleimola did household chores and earned a small allowance.
His father Paul, took him to the bank and helped him open his first savings account.
"I thought it was the most fun thing to go to the bank with my dad and fill out a deposit slip and deposit allowance or birthday money," Kleimola said.
This experience taught Kleimola about the importance of being smart with money and now he hopes to go into a career in financial planning to help others do the same.
Kleimola fostered his passion for helping others coaching youth wrestling and being involved in Best Buddies, an organization that creates opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Kleimola said his first priority has always been academics, so when he received interest from Indiana and came on a visit and learned about the prestigious Kelley School of Business, he fell in love with it.
The road had its challenges, which started with having to work hard his first two years to get into Kelley, consistently ranked in the top-10 business programs in the country.
Kleimola, who is pursuing a degree in finance, said having to balance wrestling and academics has helped keep him sharp.
"The rigorous schedule has helped me stay focused and kept academics as one of my top priorities," he said. "Wrestling has kept me grounded and focused on what is important."
Kleimola, who was recently honored as an Academic All-Big Ten selection, also mentioned the academic support system at Indiana, where he works with Assistant Director of Academic Services and Certification, Angie Krilich.
"Jake has always been very focused and considered academics a top priority." Krilich said. "I don't have to worry about Jake doing well in the classroom, for him it's about creating balance and planning."
Surviving I-Core
Those who are familiar with the Kelley School of Business are familiar with I-Core, a semester that is designed to give students real-time experiences that challenge them to solve cross-functional business problems while developing professional and leadership skills.
The final I-Core case, also known as the Kelley "rite of passage" is an extensive team project in which students demonstrate all they have learned.
For Kleimola, I-Core midterms, finals and the case fell during wrestling season.
"I really enjoyed my I-Core semester," Kleimola said. "It was amazing to see all the knowledge and skills I developed come together during the case project. It taught me the importance of thinking as a businessman and not as just a finance major."
Kelley Wealth Management Workshop
This semester Kleimola is involved in a new program, the Charles Schwab Workshop in Financial Planning/Wealth Management.
The program gives students an opportunity to interact with professionals from a wide range of industries, receive hands-on training and network with Kelley School alumni working in the financial planning industry.
The curriculum also involves coursework that will set Kleimola up for CFP Certification, a highly respected professional credential.
Having a Support System
When it comes to his time at Indiana University, Kleimola has found support in a number of places.
Clark Barwick, a professor in the business school has served as a mentor and been a resource for Kleimola.
"Jake is one of the most impressive students I've had the pleasure to teach at IU," Barwick said. "The focus that you see in Jake on the wrestling mat—that conviction to keep pushing forward, no matter what, came out in my class."
Barwick said he has invited Jake back to mentor his current students, not just because he is a model student, but also because he is a model person. Kleimola said he takes pride in giving back and has had a tremendous experience himself.
"One thing I think sets the business school apart and makes it so prestigious is the professors," Kleimola said. "They have an amazing group of professors all with industry experience and who are very smart and willing to help you."
Kleimola has also felt great support from his coaches, who are concerned with not only his performance on the mat, but in the classroom and in life.
"We are grateful to have coaches that are very supportive of us outside of the wrestling room," Kleimola said. "I think that has allowed the team to succeed academically and me to do well academically. The coaches know that there is life beyond wrestling and they want us to be set up to be successful as men outside of the wrestling room."
What's Next
Kleimola has an internship lined up for this summer with Valeo, a financial advisory firm.
He said he is looking forward to the amount of hands on learning that will be pivotal to getting ahead and being prepared for CFP examinations.
Coming full circle Kleimola said he is looking forward to being able to combine two passions.
"I've always enjoyed saving and working with money," he said. "I've always loved coaching and helping other people. To be able to combine those two things and make a career out of it sounds perfect."
His father Paul, took him to the bank and helped him open his first savings account.
"I thought it was the most fun thing to go to the bank with my dad and fill out a deposit slip and deposit allowance or birthday money," Kleimola said.
This experience taught Kleimola about the importance of being smart with money and now he hopes to go into a career in financial planning to help others do the same.
Kleimola fostered his passion for helping others coaching youth wrestling and being involved in Best Buddies, an organization that creates opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Kleimola said his first priority has always been academics, so when he received interest from Indiana and came on a visit and learned about the prestigious Kelley School of Business, he fell in love with it.
The road had its challenges, which started with having to work hard his first two years to get into Kelley, consistently ranked in the top-10 business programs in the country.
Kleimola, who is pursuing a degree in finance, said having to balance wrestling and academics has helped keep him sharp.
"The rigorous schedule has helped me stay focused and kept academics as one of my top priorities," he said. "Wrestling has kept me grounded and focused on what is important."
Kleimola, who was recently honored as an Academic All-Big Ten selection, also mentioned the academic support system at Indiana, where he works with Assistant Director of Academic Services and Certification, Angie Krilich.
"Jake has always been very focused and considered academics a top priority." Krilich said. "I don't have to worry about Jake doing well in the classroom, for him it's about creating balance and planning."
Surviving I-Core
Those who are familiar with the Kelley School of Business are familiar with I-Core, a semester that is designed to give students real-time experiences that challenge them to solve cross-functional business problems while developing professional and leadership skills.
The final I-Core case, also known as the Kelley "rite of passage" is an extensive team project in which students demonstrate all they have learned.
For Kleimola, I-Core midterms, finals and the case fell during wrestling season.
"I really enjoyed my I-Core semester," Kleimola said. "It was amazing to see all the knowledge and skills I developed come together during the case project. It taught me the importance of thinking as a businessman and not as just a finance major."
Kelley Wealth Management Workshop
This semester Kleimola is involved in a new program, the Charles Schwab Workshop in Financial Planning/Wealth Management.
The program gives students an opportunity to interact with professionals from a wide range of industries, receive hands-on training and network with Kelley School alumni working in the financial planning industry.
The curriculum also involves coursework that will set Kleimola up for CFP Certification, a highly respected professional credential.
Having a Support System
When it comes to his time at Indiana University, Kleimola has found support in a number of places.
Clark Barwick, a professor in the business school has served as a mentor and been a resource for Kleimola.
"Jake is one of the most impressive students I've had the pleasure to teach at IU," Barwick said. "The focus that you see in Jake on the wrestling mat—that conviction to keep pushing forward, no matter what, came out in my class."
Barwick said he has invited Jake back to mentor his current students, not just because he is a model student, but also because he is a model person. Kleimola said he takes pride in giving back and has had a tremendous experience himself.
"One thing I think sets the business school apart and makes it so prestigious is the professors," Kleimola said. "They have an amazing group of professors all with industry experience and who are very smart and willing to help you."
Kleimola has also felt great support from his coaches, who are concerned with not only his performance on the mat, but in the classroom and in life.
"We are grateful to have coaches that are very supportive of us outside of the wrestling room," Kleimola said. "I think that has allowed the team to succeed academically and me to do well academically. The coaches know that there is life beyond wrestling and they want us to be set up to be successful as men outside of the wrestling room."
What's Next
Kleimola has an internship lined up for this summer with Valeo, a financial advisory firm.
He said he is looking forward to the amount of hands on learning that will be pivotal to getting ahead and being prepared for CFP examinations.
Coming full circle Kleimola said he is looking forward to being able to combine two passions.
"I've always enjoyed saving and working with money," he said. "I've always loved coaching and helping other people. To be able to combine those two things and make a career out of it sounds perfect."
Players Mentioned
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