Beyond The Polo – Jasmine Fowlkes
Originally from Pensacola, FL, Jasmine began attending the University of South Florida in the Fall of 2006. She was a little apprehensive about going to a University that was seven hours away from her hometown, but because of the fun, excitement, and everlasting friendships she made during her freshman orientation that summer, she knew that she wanted to be an OTL at the end of her freshmen year. She was chosen to be an Orientation Team Leader during the summer of 2007. Jasmine stated that was definitely one of the best summers of her life. During her time as an OTL that summer, Jasmine grew a lot as a person, a leader, and a student. At the end of that summer, she won the “Coaches Catch” Orientation Team Leader Award given by Marnie Hauser for her help with the disabled incoming students who attended orientation that summer.
The one thing that Jasmine would like to tell all the other Orientation Team Leaders who came after her was this: “Being an Orientation Team Leader gives you the confidence, drive, determination, and knowledge of your University that will set you apart from other students. After being an OTL, you will never be the same, and you will achieve great things.” After being an OTL Jasmine developed overwhelming confidence to achieve other goals at the University. She eventually became a USF Ambassador, “Miss University of South Florida” (Miss USF) 2009, “Miss Black and Gold” 2008, a charter member of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), an executive board member of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), and the Director of Marketing and Communications for USF Student Government.
Jasmine graduated from the University last May (Spring 2010) with Magna Cum Laude academic honors with a B.A. in Mass Communications. The day before her graduation at USF, she received an offer to move to New Jersey and work as a Marketing Research Analyst for the Gannett Company at the Asbury Park Press newspaper, where she’s been working ever since. Being an OTL has shaped the person and professional that she is today. The team building skills and conflict management experiences that Jasmine learned that summer back in 2007 has equipped her to deal with certain situations on the job as a young professional today. Jasmine is amazed and honored to say that being an Orientation Team Leader during her time at college has really rubbed off on the young adult she has become.