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Jasmine McCrory, After School Program Specialist

My family is from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Galveston, Texas, and Decatur, Illinois. My maternal grandmother spoke French and was the best cook I have ever met. I was born and raised in Vallejo, California. Growing up, I spent summers in Oakland in the Rockridge area and Richmond near JFK High School. 

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My parents married after my birth and later divorced. My mother and father are two of the most non-confrontational people that I know. My father is retired from the Navy, currently works in the medical field, and does not curse. My mother, a fraternal twin, is still my go-to for assistance with math.  She currently works in education. Regardless of their differences, I have never heard my parents speak negatively about one another. My mother raised 6 children, 4 of which are fraternal twins, as a single parent and the sole provider. My maternal grandmother, who owned her home in Rockridge, definitely contributed to my mother’s financial stability.

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In my formative years, I thought I wanted to be a veterinarian. Once I became a single mother to twin girls, I started to become more eager for financial stability.  I survived homelessness and housing insecurity, intimate partner violence, and more. Despite these challenges, I never subscribed to the idea that my life would end up just another statistic. In my journey, I built lasting professional and personal relationships. These relationships have often times provided opportunities for advancement.  

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Maya Angelou once said: “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”   When engaging with others I intentionally try to leave a lasting positive impression. My thoughts are. “I never know what someone else is going through and I want to meet people where they are in life in order to help.”  I am an empathetic person that is mindful of checking my chip at the door. 

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My educational and career background is in administration of justice and law. I have worked at four different law enforcement agencies and two different social service agencies. However, I did not feel like I was making much of a change in my community. I was meeting people during some of the worst and most traumatic times of their lives but I felt I was a little too late to be able to help. This is why I am so grateful to have the opportunity to make a change and cultivate excellence in young people’s lives at Cragmont as the Afterschool Program Specialist. I have the opportunity to advocate for others, especially people of color. I choose to be active, consistent, and uplifting in the lives of the children I interact with. 

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I take time for gratitude and humility every day. I know that because of grace, hard work, and determination I am able to live well and thrive in life.

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- Jasmine McCrory, After School Program Specialist

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