Charting the Right Course
Jasmine Davis ’20 leans into courses and professors for professional success.
“I’m really glad I chose Elmhurst because you get such a close relationship with your professors.” —Jasmine Davis ’20
As part of her co-op internship program, Elmhurst University senior Jasmine Davis conducted a presentation to her employer, Bimbo Bakeries USA, explaining her work and project accomplishments from July to December 2019. This was her “prove it” moment to a prominent food company.
Deep breaths. Connect with the audience. Calm the nerves. Show, don’t tell. Remember the material. Lessons from Dr. Soni Simpson, Jasmine’s business professor at Elmhurst University, echoed in her head.
A ton of work, preparation, inspiration and guidance brought Jasmine’s journey to this point. Now with a semester until graduation and a job in her sights, many things happened to chart the right course for her professional life.
After high school, Jasmine tried to settle on a viable major. Initially, her higher education career took her to Elgin Community College, close to home. But she wanted to take the next step toward a bachelor’s degree.
During a college fair, Jasmine spotted Elmhurst University. She immediately felt comfortable after speaking to the admission counselor. Her transfer process was seamless. She knew everything she needed to do at each step.
Once on campus, the experience got even better.
“I’m really glad I chose Elmhurst because you get such a close relationship with your professors,” she says.
Thanks to Jasmine’s courses and professors, she learned real-life skills for the workplace—such as presentation skills and how to conduct effective, purposeful surveys.
Originally a marketing major at Elgin, her professional interests inspired her to take a different turn, which led to a co-op at Bimbo Bakeries USA in Rosemont (IL) through Elmhurst’s Weigand Center for Professional Excellence. During a co-op, or co-operative education, students work full-time while taking a semester off. Jasmine, however, still fit in two night classes during the semester.
“I realized I liked the research and analytics involved in marketing,” she says. At Bimbo, she worked on sales planning, analytics and various marketing projects. Her work was so well received that her internship will continue through the Spring Term up to her graduation.
Once she has a diploma in hand? The sky’s the limit.
If you were wondering how Jasmine performed during her co-op internship presentation: she nailed it. Of course she did.