Jenna Rogers is thankful for sports. The UM-Dearborn women’s soccer and women’s basketball captain — yes, she was a captain for two college sports — said lessons from teamwork are her guiding principles. You show up when needed. You work hard. You realize it’s not about yourself; you win when you use your skills for the group to succeed.

But she didn’t just use that in competition. Off the field and now into the office, Rogers is focused on making sure people in the community have access to food, education and more. After all, it’s not about racking up the most points or scoring the most goals —-even though Rogers was a part of the most winningest team of UM-Dearborn women’s basketball history and holds the record for most goals in UM Dearborn women's soccer history — it’s about how we can use our talents to help others. And, to Rogers, that’s winning.

Jenna, in her own words

The importance of giving “A difference maker is defined by their contribution to the campus and community. In my four years at UM-Dearborn, I worked with student organizations around campus like Student Government or the Student Food Pantry to both increase student involvement and promote projects where others are helping those in need. Sometimes it is an awareness issue. People are willing to help, but they don’t realize what the needs are of others. I wanted to be that bridge. 

As the vice president and president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), I had the opportunity to work with UM-Dearborn athletic teams and lead multiple drives that led to record-breaking donation numbers. Each November, there was a canned food drive and we donated over 2000 items to the student food pantry on campus. In December, we adopted over 15 families and were able to give children in need a great holiday. Doing work like that reinforced how much philanthropy means to me and helped me find a company to work for after graduation (Ford Motor Company) that holds values like I do.”

A defining moment “My most defining or memorable moment at UM-Dearborn was senior season of basketball. My team and I traveled to Lima, Ohio to play a conference match-up against the University of Northwestern Ohio. This game was important because if we were able to pull out the win, we would break the record for the most wins in a single season. We did. 

When I joined the team as a freshman, there really wasn’t a winning culture. But so much had changed in four years. A coaching change, a renewed sense of team camaraderie and commitment, and hard work gave us a spot in UM-Dearborn history as the team with the most wins in a single season. This was such a defining moment in my collegiate career because it showed me that hard work, dedication, and sacrifice yields the greatest rewards.”

How teamwork really does make the dream work “Athletics has been an important part of my life since before I can remember. I enjoy sports, but there is something more important at play too. Being a part of a team teaches you time management, discipline, how to work with others and knowing when to step forward with your skills or when to step back and support others when it is their time to lead. It’s not all about you — it’s about doing what it takes to reach your team’s shared goal. In addition to academics, I believe the lessons of teamwork and leadership I’ve learned while playing sports help me secure the job I had dreamed of right out of college. 

I’m in the Ford College Graduate (FCG) program based in Ford Performance within Ford Motor Company. In the next two-to-three years, I am looking forward to gaining experience and knowledge in five to six different rotations. I then plan to apply to a top ten graduate business school and complete my MBA concentration in finance or leadership.”