Get To Know Jasmine Wilson '19, Career Services Associate

by Matt Mandel '19

Starting this school year, The Career Development Office (CDO) now has career services associates (CSAs) available for students. Jasmine Wilson ’19, Haley Witschey ’20 and Julia Elrod ’20 are available to anyone who wants their résumé or cover letter reviewed, or who wants to start from scratch.

CSAs are now available during the evening on Mondays from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in Library C, room 9. They are also available during the day at the CDO in lower Gund Commons. Students can schedule appointments with CSAs in Symplicity.

“I think this is something people should take advantage of,” Wilson said. “It’s a little less intimidating meeting with a senior or a junior who is here at Kenyon.”

Wilson, an American studies major and history minor, is from Cleveland, Ohio. She worked for the CDO since her first year at Kenyon and transitioned into her role as a CSA this year. Last spring she studied off campus in Philadelphia, working with a high school guidance counselor helping to mentor kids and tutor in classrooms.

In addition to working for the CDO, Wilson is also a senior fellow for the Office of Admissions, a community advisor (CA) in the North Campus Apartments (NCAs) for the Office of Housing & Residential Life, captain of the cheerleading team, and President of Sisterhood, an organization that unifies Kenyon’s women of color through fellowship and discussion. All of these experiences allow her to engage with and learn about people around Wilson, allowing her to make the biggest impact she can.

“I want to go into education,” Wilson said. “A big part of education is learning who people are and learning how people learn and learning what’s best for people. That’s something I really enjoy.”

Wilson enjoys meeting with and helping fellow students in the job search, whether they are sending out résumés or are just compiling their skills and work experiences. She believes that more students should take advantage of the resources that the CSAs have to offer.

“CSAs work nine to 12 hours a week and all of those hours are open for students to take appointments with us so that we can help people write their résumés, write their cover letters, edit them and get them to be the best that they can be,” Wilson said.

Getting career help from a fellow student who is trained and knowledgeable is especially helpful because CSAs are going through the same student experiences as those that they help and mentor, allowing them to connect on many different levels, according to Wilson.

“It’s a really great opportunity that Kenyon students have to be able to talk about this work with a peer because we’re all trying to get jobs after college,” Wilson said. “To be able to work with a student one-on-one on your résumé and cover letter is super awesome. You can work with someone who’s your age but they have some experience and knowledge that can help you. Another eye can be comforting. It’s a genius idea.”