Senior Profile: Jasmin Chavez

Jasmin Chavez. (Photo courtesy of Jasmin Chavez).

What is your major and minor? What other academic programs were you a part of?

Political science and Spanish double major, Global Fellows program.

What are some of the jobs you held while at McDaniel?

Student worker at the Office of Communications and Marketing, political science department, Office of Student Affairs, Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs, and resident assistant for freshman housing.

What organizations were you a part of at McDaniel? What positions did you hold?

McDaniel LULAC founder and president, Global Bridge Advisory Board member, vice president and 2019 class representative of the Student Government Association, secretary for HLA (freshman year), Admissions ambassador.

Did you enjoy your time at McDaniel? How?

I loved my time at McDaniel. I grew personally and professionally during my time here.
I interned at the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics as a freshman and was able to organize STEM workshops in my community with a Griswold-Zepp grant. I also had the opportunity to serve as a UCLA Dream Summer Fellow at the Advancement Project and as a HACU Corporate Intern at the Environmental Defense Fund. My summers were always busy, but I’m thankful to have had the opportunity to study abroad in Oaxaca, Mexico during the fall semester of my senior year. That was a life-changing opportunity that helped me grow immensely as a person.
I also really loved establishing a LULAC chapter here on campus during my sophomore year. For three years, I had enjoyed organizing town halls, summits, voter registration drives, trips to conferences, and panels with my council. I’m going to really miss my LULAC family. I was also honored to be named a Newman Civic Fellow during my sophomore year. I learned a lot about public service during my time at the Newman Civic Fellows conference in Boston and was empowered to pursue a career in public service.
I made a lot of wonderful friends here at McDaniel who I’m going to be in touch with forever. I also had the support of wonderful faculty and staff. I felt like I could do anything with the support of my professors who were always inspiring me to aim high.

Who do you think was/is your best mentor?

Dr. Leahy.

What is your best memory at McDaniel?

My favorite memory at McDaniel is definitely when I had the opportunity to meet Cornell Brooks, the President of the NAACP, at the President’s house. He really inspired me to continue fighting for communities of color and to pursue my dreams of going off to law school.

What are your plans for after graduation?

I just accepted an offer with Benach Collopy, LLP., a leading immigration law firm in Washington, D.C. I will be a paralegal for a couple of years before going to Georgetown Law School.

What would you tell yourself as a first-year at McDaniel?

I would tell myself that time flies and that I need to live in the moment. Doors are going to open and I need to be ready to take on new opportunities.