Jasmine Elizabeth Burrell

I am a native of Washington, DC and am a first generation college student. At the core of who I am is someone who has a love of writing, activism, and community. My greatest goal in life is to be able give back to my siblings, the community in Southeast DC, and to change negative American attitudes toward low-income communities. I am currently double majoring in Women and Gender Studies and Business with a focus in Accounting at Virginia Wesleyan College. I plan to use the knowledge gained from both majors to be an activist for minorities, discriminated groups, low-income communities promoting equality and financial literacy.

During my time at VWC I have held/hold leadership roles in various organizations and offices including; the office of community service, Marlin Ministries, Black Student Union, and Phenomenal Woman. I am currently a contributing author for Virginia Wesleyan College's Odyssey team, a national is publishing platform, consisting of millennials with chapters in several colleges across the US. Writers pick their own topics and can explore journalism as well as share personal stories. The content that writers publish has the potential to go viral.

Some of my influences are; the amazing women and men in my life who have invested in me, my siblings, my family, my church family, my VWC family, Malcolm X, Maya Angelou, Ida B. Wells. Richard Pryor, Alice Walker, Michelle Obama, Nikki Giovanni, Kathy Griffin, the women of SNL, and the list goes on. I plan to use my influence, education, and experiences to engage with and change the world.