Miss Virginia State University - Jasmine Abrams
As a child, Jasmine Abrams knew her mother worked as hard as possible to provide for her children. However, the income of a young uneducated Black woman was often not enough to meet the needs of the household. Since her mother did not receive a college education, her income, despite the fact that she worked two jobs, was not enough to adequately support her family. At times, her family went without the basic necessities of a household – food, water, electricity, and heat. There were even times when they did not have a place to call home. Jasmine can remember living in various shelters, hotels, and more vividly, her aunt’s tiny one-bedroom apartment.
These experiences have inspired Jasmine to continue her education in graduate school so that she can help prevent minority women and their children from falling into impoverished lifestyles that prevent them from obtaining the resources necessary to enhance the quality of their lives. This serves as an area of interest for Jasmine because of the vicious repetitive cycle teenage pregnancy can create among the parents and children involved. If, through research, she is able identify specific variables related to young people’s decisions to engage in risky sexual behaviors, perhaps the occurrence of teen pregnancy and youth born into impoverished homes can be lessened. It is Jasmine’s vision that through health promotion and education about how to maximize critical resources, a more optimistic cycle can be created for these women. It is Jasmine’s sincerest hope that she can contribute to the betterment of the lives of minority women and their children.
Upon arriving on the campus of Virginia State University, Jasmine immediately distinguished herself from her peers by competing for the title of Miss Freshman. She placed third in the competition but gained more from it than her “Second Runner-Up” title. It was this competition that inspired Jasmine to make the most of her college experience by becoming involved in her campus community and, ultimately, to become Miss Virginia State University. She immediately began seeking leadership opportunities in order to prepare herself to become one of her university’s most outstanding student leaders.
As a freshman, Jasmine became a member and historian for the Student Ambassadors Organization and a member of the Drama Club. Aside from memorizing lines, volunteering in the Office of Admissions, and giving campus tours, she could be found working or studying. Jasmine has worked to support herself financially since her sophomore year in high school. With the help of God and her family, she has managed to become a young, successful, hard-working, self-sufficient woman. Furthermore, academic excellence has always remained a top priority for Jasmine. As a freshman, she was awarded a host of scholarships, which will allow her to graduate from college debt-free. She was also recognized for having the highest Freshman GPA in the Department of Psychology. As a Presidential Scholar, Jasmine has been actively involved in the University Honors Program for the entirety of her college career. During her sophomore and junior years, she served as the Honors Program Student Advisory Council President, a position which helped her secure a Presidential Internship with the Honors Program during her senior year. Jasmine has received a host of awards and merits during her tenure at VSU, some of which include being a C.B. Powell Scholar, a Historically Black College and Universities Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP) Scholar, and an Academic Competitive Grant recipient. She has also received a National Association for the Advancement of Colored People – Graduate Student Association (NAACP-GSA) award for Outstanding Scholarship, recognition for having the highest Senior GPA in the Department of Psychology, and recognition in the Who’s Who Among American College Students book. To prepare herself for graduate school, she has maintained a 3.8 GPA, worked on numerous research projects and presented research at conferences across the country.
Jasmine has yet to allow a summer to pass without taking advantage of opportunities for personal, academic, or professional growth. During the summer after her freshman year, she worked diligently with other students to become a founding member of the Trojan Student Practice Company, the University’s first student-run company. The company existed to give students the opportunity to gain experience about how to operate their own business, while providing various engineering services to campus and local communities. She served as the company’s Director of Human Resources and Historian. During the summer after her sophomore year, Jasmine worked on a National Science Foundation research project in which she was the only undergraduate working as a research assistant. After her junior year, she completed the Summer Undergraduate Research Program at the University of Virginia. These experiences validated her ability to direct others and provoked a deeper hunger to stand at the forefront of leaders at her university. As such, Jasmine has maintained leadership positions on campus since her freshman year. As Miss Virginia State University 2009-2010, Scholarship Committee Chair for the Alpha Eta Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., a member of Psi Chi, a member of the Student Government Association, and the Undergraduate Liaison for the Graduate Student Association, she is constantly strengthening her communication skills and her ability to multi-task. More importantly, she is faithfully serving both VSU and South Central Virginia communities.
After researching and working hands-on with the SISTA (Sisters Informing Sisters on Topics of AIDs) Project and the Young Women Leaders Program, she developed a passionate desire for prevention and intervention research related to reproductive health within minority communities. Her Directors of Health Promotion and Education/ Center for Disease Control and Prevention (DHPE/CDC) internship also reinforced her desire to work in health promotion and education by affording her the opportunity to assist in facilitating various prevention and intervention programs. Upon establishing herself as a college educator and a researcher she plans to open a non-profit community center for young minority females. Jasmine’s center will help individuals reach their full potential in life by promoting education, leadership, service, positive values, and mental and physical health. She believes obtaining a Ph.D. in Community Psychology will help her actualize her goals by giving her the tools and experience needed to successfully make a change within minority communities. It is her ultimate goal not only to achieve her full potential but to be the catalyst for others to achieve their dreams as well.
As Miss Virginia State University, Jasmine developed her platform – “Embracing Excellence: A Blueprint for Success” – in order to promote professionalism among VSU students. Along with the members of her Royal Court, she has hosted an etiquette dinner and forums to educate her peers about the importance of professionalism. Upon graduation, Jasmine plans to continue to provide service to those around her, but she is aware that she will need to pursue a graduate degree in order to provide the best service possible to her community.
Jasmine has completely immersed herself in the culture of an institution that sits “far above the Appomattox on a lofty hill” – Virginia State University. She can state, with the utmost conviction, that her experiences at VSU have molded her into the humble, ambitious woman she is today. After graduating, Jasmine plans on assisting her university with molding the next generation of leaders through motivational speaking, workshops, and individual mentoring.
Remembering the God-given strength she has utilized to endure life’s trials has been Jasmine’s source of courage and inspiration in her more difficult times. Life has taught her invaluable lessons that will motivate her as she chases the dreams of the next chapter of her life.