Empowered to achieve her dreams

Jasmine Pickens, AB '20, MBA '20

When I enrolled at Washington University, I was undecided about my major. Fortunately, WashU offers students the freedom to explore and determine a path well-suited to their backgrounds and aspirations.

Portrait photo of Jasmine Pickens

It did not take me long to do just that. I quickly found my home on the Danforth Campus in the Department of African and African-American Studies and became active in several organizations and activities, including the Association of Black Students and the club softball team. As an intern and student worker in the university’s advancement office, I discovered and cultivated an interest in fundraising.

Through the 3+2 program in the College of Arts & Sciences and Olin Business School, I earned a bachelor’s degree in African and African-American studies as well as a master’s degree in business administration. My liberal arts coursework helped me apply a humanistic lens to my business studies. The interdisciplinary education and rich experiences I gained at WashU have been invaluable to my personal life and my career as a gift officer in higher education, work that allows me to have an impact on gifted future students who are longing for opportunity and searching for their passions.

As a low-income, first-generation college student, my path would not have been possible without the full-tuition scholarship I received from WashU and its generous donors. These funds were so much more than a ticket into the university: They empowered me to pursue and achieve my dreams on campus and continue to have an influence on my life today.