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by Dru Walters, Student Contributor 

Jay and Barbara Ripley

The partnership between Jay Ripley and Alice Lloyd College demonstrates how the Purpose Road Philosophy is embraced by those who have devoted their lives to serving others all over the United States. Mr. Ripley is the co-founder of Sequel Youth and Family Services, a company dedicated to meeting the educational needs of adjudicated delinquent boys, as well as special needs students across the country. Throughout his life, he has strived to make a difference in the lives of youths who often come from less than ideal backgrounds.

 

Like Mrs. Lloyd, Jay knows firsthand the potential of students who have not been granted an easy lot in life. His life and work are rooted in a strong commitment to his faith, but also in the experience of growing up in a financially distressed home in the suburbs of Baltimore, Maryland. Jay’s parents divorced when he was only 13, leaving his mother to care for him and his two sisters. He recalls money being scarce, and his mother struggling to work many different jobs over the years just to support them. 

Jay graduated high school in 1975, and in 1979, he became the first in his family to graduate from college.  He graduated from the University of Baltimore (UB) with a degree in Accounting and married his high school sweetheart, Barbara, the summer after graduation.  At the present time, Jay is the only member of the University of Baltimore Foundation Board to have gone to UB on scholarships and financial aid, which he finds a testament to education being the great equalizer.

Fresh out of college, Jay took a job at Ernst & Young as a CPA. He later left to join Jiffy Lube. After starting out on the financial side of the company, Jay became Corporate Controller and helped to take the company public in 1987. In 1995, Precision Tune, which would later become Precision Auto Care, recruited him to be their President & CEO. After Jay took the company public in 1997, he left the office in 1998 to begin work on his next venture, which he would soon realize was his divine calling. In 1999, he and a former business associate founded Sequel Youth and Family Services. Though he has gotten out of the day to day operations of the company, Jay continues to serve as the Chairman of the Board.

Together, Jay and Barbara have 2 boys, 3 girls, 5 grandsons, and are expecting a granddaughter in December. Jay spent 20 years of his life as an active worship leader, and over the course of his career, he and his family have helped to found several churches. Above all, they consider their work to be part of growing God’s kingdom. 

When Jay received a letter from Alice Lloyd College, he immediately recognized fellow travelers on the Purpose Road. The Purpose Road philosophy may have been developed by Mrs. Lloyd and Dr. Herbert Palmer, but in many ways, it lives in the hearts and souls of all those who know the importance of service to those around them. ALC could not be more proud to have Jay Ripley as a partner. Growing up poor, Jay has witnessed the transformative power of education and the character forming nobility of hard work.  Together, we are able to provide opportunities for students who come from impoverished households, and further the mission set forth by our founder all across the Appalachian Region.