Becoming Jas '21TCB, '22MBA

Jasmine Batacan

As a first-year student, Jasmine Batacan arrived at St. John’s University’s Queens, NY, campus ready to welcome any opportunity—and she shows no signs of stopping after recently graduating. As an undergraduate, she was involved in the fashion club Red House and the Executive-in-Residence Program, and served as a Resident Assistant. She has used all of her platforms and creativity to mentor and inspire people to allow their light to shine. Although her story is just getting started, take a moment to read below how she created her own Johnnies experience, and stop by her art page on Instagram, @the.studio.73!

Why did you choose St. John’s?

“It’s a funny story. I knew I wanted to come to New York after leaving the DMV (Delaware, Maryland, Virginia) from my Maryland hometown. I just didn’t know where I was going to go in NY. New York University was actually my first choice, but I didn’t see many trees when I toured the campus. Coming from a rural area in Maryland, I was used to being in a more natural setting. When I visited St. John’s, I was impressed by the beautiful campus, which included several green spaces, the Great Lawn—and many trees.”

What is your current role right now?

“I work at Wavemaker as a Senior Hybrid Associate, managing digital media investments and planning strategies for Nickelodeon.”

What is next for you?

“Honestly, I don’t know. I am enjoying growing and setting my roots at the company. One thing that stood out about this company is how much they invest in their employees. They set me up in a few programs that will help me not only grow professionally, but personally as well.”

What is your dream job?

“My dream job would probably be a creative director or a freelance artist. I am a very creative person. So, being able to be in my happy space and being able to get compensated the way that artists should be compensated would be amazing.

I would like to be my own boss. I wouldn’t mind being in charge of other employees, but I am unsure how that would affect my opportunities to utilize my creative talents. My talents are diverse; everything that I learned in art was basically self-taught.”

How have you been involved on campus?

“My journey started in my sophomore year when I became the Event Chair for the fashion club Red House. I then became a Discover New York Peer Leader. I spent three years living in DaSilva Hall, and in my junior year, I became a Resident Assistant. I was also Vice President of Red House in my junior year.

During my senior year, I was more involved. I got an internship and was a part of the Executive-in-Residence program, which is a program for the top students in The Peter J. Tobin College of Business. This group serves as a mini consulting agency; we consult with actual companies such as Broadridge, 1-800-FLOWERS, and several others that seek feedback. Then, I started working for Powerphyl Media Solutions my second semester of senior year, while also being the President of Red House.

Being President of Red House at that time was a little challenging due to the pandemic. I had to adjust our social media tactics and strategy to try to recruit students when we could not do so in person. Many of our programs became solely virtual for that year. For example, we launched a biweekly series over the summer, Let's Talk Fashion, interviewing former Red House presidents.

Overall, we tried to incorporate programs and events that inspired our members, brought awareness to our brand, and best represented Red House. People have a misconception that Red House membership is only open to the best-dressed students. We wanted to emphasize that it is for anybody with a passion for fashion. It does not just extend to creating clothes; it’s about being able to wear what you wear with pride. It’s about building each other up and creating a safe haven for people to be passionate about the same thing in their own way. I also organized a fashion show. 

While working at Powerphyl, halfway through the semester I had a really great discussion with the Vice President and Chief Executive Officer. They were really impressed with my work and offered me a full-time position right after college. After I graduated, I started working there full time, and then I entered graduate school at St. John’s as a Graduate Assistant for Campus Activities.

This year, I did a lot of content creation for Campus Activities. I made the reels, organized the page flow, made a content calendar, and much more. I was the Winter Carnival team lead; that was fun. However, it was challenging trying to find the balance between working in the city for Powerphyl and on campus for Campus Activities, while also getting my homework done.”

Describe your team’s process for organizing Stormin’ Loud, St. John’s first music festival.

“The highs were highs, and the lows were lows. Overall, it was rewarding. The feeling that I felt after Stormin’ Loud was a sense of satisfaction—but also a sense of relief because I could finally sleep. It was nice to see everyone’s hard work pay off, especially working with the programming boards. It was great to work hand-in-hand and see different perspectives on topics that we would talk about. Having those conversations with the programming boards and seeing their involvement was cool. Their perspective offered something that I wouldn’t personally consider. It was rewarding to be able to mentor and also work alongside such young, independent, and influential people on campus.”

What has been the biggest lesson you’ve learned?

“I took away a few lessons. One thing that I learned, especially this year, is exceptional growth comes from uncomfortable change. At one point this year, I was struggling with my job, balancing between working 70-hours a week and getting homework done. I was burning out and was struggling to stay motivated.

Many people say you should stay at your first job for a year, two years, or as long as possible before moving on to the next. But, I took my leap and started applying, realizing that the experiences and skills that I learned at my first job were super instrumental to my new job. That’s how I got to where I am.

Another lesson that I learned was I can’t do everything by myself. That is one lesson that I had a hard time with during my junior and senior years. I never asked for help, but what I learned is that when you ask for help, especially on a team, people rely on you. I also rely on them, and that is how you establish trust. We are all working toward the same goal.

Another lesson that I learned was that when you are faced with a challenging situation, it is important to first take a step back and analyze the best way to handle it instead of just doing something rash. Reflect on all of the possible outcomes. Keeping these lessons in my mind has been extremely instrumental to my development as an independent woman.”

What has been your overall St. John’s experience?

“My overall experience has been memorable and unforgettable. I think if I went to a different school, I might not be the person I am today. I don’t regret choosing St. John’s for a second because of the people I met and the opportunities I gained. It has just been full of memories. I can tell you a different memory for every location on campus—and they have all been good because I made the most out of my undergraduate and graduate years. It is definitely one for the books!”