To say Jacey Stuckey has overcome is an understatement.

Her drive, motivation and determination will inspire you – even after just one conversation.

Stuckey grew up in rural South Carolina, and after losing her mother and uncle (who was more like a father) at age 14, she wasn’t sure if college was in the cards for her.

What seemed unlikely became possible because of Stuckey’s tenacity to persevere. She’s putting herself through college entirely on scholarships.

“Nothing great ever comes from being in your comfort zone all the time,” Stuckey said. “My advice: Push yourself even if you feel like you’re doing something no one else is doing yet, even if you feel like others will judge you or think you’re crazy.

"A lot of people told me I couldn’t go to college. They said I didn’t have the grades or the money. But here I am, in college, in a different state. If I hadn’t pushed myself, I may still be in South Carolina, maybe not in school at all. But here I am.”

Stuckey came, by herself, to Indianapolis from South Carolina to pursue her passion in entrepreneurship. She was directly admitted to the Kelley School at IUPUI and is also in the Honors College. She says receiving a full-tuition scholarship to an out-of-state school is her biggest accomplishment. (More are sure to come).

“Always push yourself beyond what you imagine you can achieve,” she said. “You have to identify your goal—your dreams, really—and set a path to accomplish it. Even if you fail the first time you’re better than if you hadn’t done anything at all.”

Stuckey is pursuing finance and international studies majors, with a minor in economics.

“I found my passion in connecting talent with resources,” said Stuckey. “There may be people with great ideas, but they can’t fund them. In finance, I have to figure out strategically how to pay for this idea, whether it’s through stock, credit, or another means. I find the whole field fascinating.”

Stuckey is the vice president of the Entrepreneurship Club at IUPUI and an intern at SOURCE RiverWest, the near-west side entrepreneurship center. Additionally, she hopes to create a student-led investment fund at Kelley before she graduates, as well.

“When I graduate, I want to work in real estate, investment banking or private equity. Right now, I’m a private equity researcher for the Kelley School, and I’ve discovered that’s where my true passion lies. In the future, I would like my own private equity firm,” she explained.

To other students considering college and, especially, to those who aren’t sure if it’s feasible, Stuckey says it is.

“So many students don’t take advantage of available scholarships. At age 16, when I started thinking about colleges, I knew I needed to apply for scholarships to get anywhere. A lot of students don’t take advantage of this, and some scholarships go unawarded simply because no one applies. You’ll never be in the applicant pool unless you apply,” Stuckey said.

On her LinkedIn profile, Stuckey notes a quote from British Navy Captain James Cook: “Do, just once, what others say you can’t do, and you will never pay attention to their limitations again.”

There are clearly no limits for Jacey Stuckey and those like her who aspire toward greatness.