Born and raised in Chicago, Ill., Jacobsen has a passion for cooking, food and, most recently, tattoos. She is currently working on getting more tattoos and posing as a tattoo model. She also enjoys drawing and painting, and coins herself a modern day "renaissance chick." In the culinary world, Jacobsen hopes to teach and show individuals that a formal culinary education is not necessary to be a good chef. She instills the idea of learning through practice and trial and error. Her key philosophy in the kitchen is "never stop trying, you can do anything if you try hard enough." Prior to attending the academy, Jacobsen had vaguely heard of Chef Novelli, but after arriving she quickly realized his commitment towards his students on both a personal and culinary level.