Student Spotlight: Jasmine Moore
The information systems senior is the current president of G.E.M.S. and is working to create an inclusive and uplifting environment for all students.
What are you studying? Why did you choose that major?
I am studying information systems with a concentration in business analytics and a minor in Spanish. My choice to pursue an IS major stems from my passion for technology that I have had since I was very young. Though I could have gone down many different paths to pursue my passion, I settled on IS and business analytics specifically because analytics allows me to dig deep into the “why” and “how” of processes. I am excited to use my knowledge of IS to improve ideas and create technology that can benefit society. I chose to study Spanish because I have enjoyed the language since I began studying it in high school.
What programs or groups are you involved in at the School of Business and at KU?
Within the School of Business I am a member of the Multicultural Business Scholars Program, the Koch Scholars Program, and also serve as a student staff assistant for the director of student programs for diversity, equity and inclusion. Outside of the School of Business, I serve as the president of G.E.M.S. (the Gifted Empowered Motivated Sisters), an empowerment group for womxn of color here at the university. Additionally, I have been a resident assistant for 3 years.
Editor’s note: Womxn is an alternative term for the word “women” used to be explicitly inclusive of transgender and non-binary identities.
How did you get involved with KU G.E.M.S.? How has the organization impacted your time at the university?
One of my mentors, who is currently one of our three advisors for G.E.M.S., Paige Freeman, reached out to me the summer before we started the organization. She encouraged me to help get the organization started and serve in a role on the executive board. While I was extremely nervous to serve on the board, especially as vice president, I trusted my mentor and knew that she had to have seen something in me that would benefit the group as a whole. So, I decided to take a leap of faith and, well, here I am!
Serving as vice president last year and president this year has been the most impactful experience I have had at KU thus far. On the executive board, I was able to step out of my comfort zone and take on new challenges in leadership, public speaking, and decision making. I know these skills will benefit me far beyond graduation. Apart from my role on the executive board, simply being a member of such an impactful organization has helped me to further discover and develop my own identity as a black woman — how I exist and can help others exist in the world. I love all the work that G.E.M.S. does and all of what the organization stands for. I hope it is around for a long, long time.
What has been one of your best School of Business experiences?
I would have to say one of my best School of Business experiences has been my involvement in the Multicultural Business Scholars Program. I have been a part of the program since freshman year and it has been an incredibly helpful and positive experience. The guidance, resources and mentoring MBSP has provided me have helped me feel confident that I am on the right path. MBSP has assisted me in the transition from entry-level classes to higher-level classes and from internship searching to job searching. In fact, with help from MBSP, I have accepted a full time job offer post-graduation with Koch Industries at their company Flint Hills Resources as a business systems analyst. Not to mention the great peer support the program provides in itself. Each semester I’ve had at least one or two people from the program in a few of my classes. This has been great because I knew if I didn’t know anyone else, I at least had someone from the program to connect with.
What are your duties as a student program assistant for diversity, equity and inclusion at the School of Business? How is this cause important to you?
My main duties as a student program assistant are to assist in the planning and coordination of events for our Multicultural Business Scholars Program and Summer Venture in Business program. The goal of these events is to benefit students who are already involved, and assist in recruiting new students (either in MBSP or in the school of business in general).
Planning events for students in these programs is important to me because more than anything, I want to help connect students to something they are passionate about and feel included in. I’ve experienced firsthand, through G.E.M.S. and from my own mentors, the tremendous difference it makes to feel like you have somebody in your corner. So, it’s important to me that, in the planning of these events and programs, we’re creating a space for students to thrive and feel supported as well.
What’s the one piece of advice you received in the B-school that you’ll take with you everywhere?
“Do what makes Jasmine happy and what you truly enjoy. Everyone will always have input on what they think you should do, and some of it can be taken as advice; but in the end your college experience is what you make it to be.”
When one of my first academic advisors offered me this advice, it was considering something so simple: selecting my semester course load. But, this has been something I have encouraged myself to do throughout my college experience and I know I will carry into the workplace and beyond.
What is something you still hope to learn, in or out of the classroom?
I hope to learn more about myself and my unique identity. What unique gifts and assets can I bring to the table, and how can I use this to pursue my passions and, ultimately, create a positive impact for others?
By Meaghan Boyd
