JAKE Croman

Jake Croman is currently pursuing his undergraduate degree at the University of Michigan—Ann Arbor, where he is a sophomore American Culture major in the College of Literature, Science and the Arts. Jake Croman enjoys the interdisciplinary nature of Michigan’s American Culture program, a department which is held in high regard throughout academia as a premier center for American studies and scholarship. The program has provided Jake Croman with an opportunity to explore his intellectual interest in music within the larger context of American culture. He also enjoys that his coursework is helping him develop a framework through which he can understand social identities and our contemporary media landscape.

As a high school student, Jake’s love of music and entrepreneurial bent motivated him to get involved in the music business when he was still a teenager. After recognizing there was a market in New York City to connect mid-range artists with talent bookers at local music venues, Jake Croman took the initiative to fill this niche, working as an independent agent on commission. By taking his passion for music to the next level, Jake Croman gained exposure to the business underlying New York City’s music and entertainment scene. Through this work, Jake Croman has developed valuable negotiation skills and strategic networking experience; though, ultimately, being able to help talented artists gain exposure is what made Jake’s work in music rewarding for him.

Jake’s networking experience and logistical know-how extends to his work fundraising on behalf of charitable organizations. As a member of the Upsilon Chapter of the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity at Michigan, Jake Croman helped spearhead Tau Kappa Epsilon’s efforts to raise money for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, a campaign for which the fraternity was recognized as one of the most charitable fraternities in the midwest.

In addition to his fundraising work with St. Jude’s, Jake Croman continues his involvement with the Eddie Croman Foundation, which is a subsidiary of a larger nonprofit organization known as Frankie's Friends. Growing up in a family of pet lovers, Jake knows first-hand what the bond between pet owners and their pets is like. Donations to the Eddie Croman Fund help save pets’ lives by financing grants to cover the cost of veterinary care.