Jasmine Spear, winner of TWOQC Women in Transition scholarship; photo by Eileen Sykora
Janice Pell
Five women, ages 21 to 56, answered the call to apply for The Women of Quail Creek’s first scholarship for a woman in transition. These women had divergent backgrounds; single mom, veteran, single, stay at home moms, but they all had one thing in common, the desire to better themselves. They learned about the scholarship from different sources, too; Facebook, the VA, and from friends who had seen the flyers.
Five members of the scholarship committee reviewed the written applications. A few days later other committee members interviewed the top three candidates. Jasmine Spear was chosen as the recipient of the $1,000 scholarship. The scholarship will help her obtain a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health from Brigham Young University Idaho 0nline.
Jasmine, age 33, is a stay at home mother of three with an Associate’s degree in General Studies from Pima Community College. Married at 19, she started college at the University of Arizona, dropping out to work full time to support her husband while he got his degree. Choosing to stay at home after the birth of her first child, Jasmine earned the money for her Associate’s degree by teaching vocal lessons at home. Now that her children are older, she is pursuing her dream of completing her education. For the past two years she has been taking classes part-time with the goal of graduating in 2019 in order to be eligible for employment in her field by the time her youngest enters kindergarten.
Jasmine loves working with young people (especially teenagers) and is passionate in her desire to help guide them through the many challenges they face in today’s complex world. Always ready and willing to share her talents, she consistently volunteers to help out youth programs in the community. She coaches swimming, assists vocal groups and serves as a mentor for a young lady who has aged out of foster care. In addition, she also works with other girls in a group home, being there for them “as a substitute parent.” Jasmine has been the volunteer Music Director for Great Expectations Academy’s musicals for the past four years.
Jasmine was honored at the TWOQC June luncheon and presented with a bouquet of flowers and a mock check. She shared with the club her future goals and plans for working with youth to help enrich their lives by giving them the life skills to make good choices and develop good work ethics. “Public health is a topic near and dear” to her as she feels she has “a calling in health education and promotion.”
We congratulate Jasmine and wish her every success in achieving her goals.