Hello, all!
I am so happy you are here!
I’m Jasmin, but I always go by “Jas.” I’m a proud first-generation college graduate from Minnesota State University, Mankato, where I earned my degree in Secondary Mathematics Education in Spring 2022. This last fall, I completed my Master’s in Curriculum & Instruction through Western Governors University in under three months, while also taking on additional graduate coursework - 40 credits, to be exact - because if you can’t tell, I still love being a student myself.
I’m currently an educator at Faribault Middle School in my hometown, the exact middle school that I once attended myself, where I teach 7th-grade Pre-Algebra, 6th-grade AVID, and an 8th-grade leadership course called Peer Group Connections (PGC). Next year, for the first time, I’ll have the exact same schedule again, and my educator heart is so happy about that.
My love for teaching actually grew out of my love for coaching. I spent my high school years on dance teams and competition lines - but fun fact: I didn’t start dancing until I was thirteen, so I often felt like I was playing catch-up. Many years and countless rhinestones later, I’m now wrapping up a full decade of coaching. I’ve had the privilege of working with youth in dance, cheer, fall performance, and softball (no, I never played softball myself, but I figured it out along the way), helping them build confidence, discipline, and ultimately find joy in the experience. While I’ve stepped back from the sidelines, mentorship remains a core part of everything I do, and I also still bring that creativity and love for the arts into my school community, assisting with our middle school theatre program that works in coalition to support our community school programming.
That same commitment to mentorship has extended beyond coaching. I’ve served as a Big Sister with Big Brothers Big Sisters, a mentor with Miller Mentoring, and a coach with Girls on the Run.
During this season of life, I picked up my violin again after a decade-long hiatus. I originally started playing in fourth grade (mostly to get out of gym class once a week), but quickly fell in love with it. Music always made sense to me - it was like math: seeing how different numbers (fingers) produced different notes, and shifting was just a translation of those numbers. You add a sharp or a flat, it was like a positive or a negative, and even every beat was placed in accordance with a note and how long it was given to be played. Today, I play with a local orchestra group in Northfield called Bows, Strings, and Contentment, and continue to refine my skills weekly with lessons from my original 4th-grade violin teacher, Miss Olson.
Outside the classroom, I’m a published author of five (soon to be six!) children’s books: Believe, Bella; Exhale, Ella; Strong, Sox; Wishful, Winnie; and Grateful, Gibby. Each story aligns with Minnesota K-12 academic standards and CASEL competencies, making social-emotional learning accessible and engaging for young readers.
Through this work, I created Open Books, Open Minds, a statewide initiative that provides equitable access to mental health resources by placing complete sets of these books in all 251 public libraries across Minnesota. I’ve also published a mental wellness journal, Empowering Positivity, Embracing Resilience, and took over #TheExhaleProject, a bracelet-based campaign encouraging youth to “inhale the positives, exhale the negatives.” This was originally started years ago by a former Miss Topeka in the Miss Kansas organization.
I’m currently developing a suite of free, classroom-ready SEL resources to help educators bring mental wellness into their classrooms without the commitment of a long-term curriculum, so that they can pick and choose what best fits their classroom culture and needs.
My deepest passion, mental health advocacy, comes from personal experience. In 2008, I lost my cousin Brandyn to suicide, and later, I witnessed a family member’s attempt. Those moments changed everything for me and inspired me to dedicate my life to creating spaces where others feel seen, supported, and understood.
I am the co-founder of CultureChange, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on transforming mental health culture through education, access, and connection. Since its launch, CultureChange has reached over 300 universities, 16 Minnesota school districts, and communities beyond the U.S., offering K-12 curriculum, postsecondary programming, athletic and school trainings, and educator resources. Our mission is to change the culture and stigma surrounding mental health through outreach, access, and connections, utilizing education, legislation, literature, and community building. I also co-developed Seeds of Success, where we are building AI- and VR-based mental health tools, including Project CARLA, NORA, and ELLA - to expand access to mental health education in schools and communities nationwide
I’m passionate about creating change right in my own community. Through the Teen Mental Health and Opioids Response Action Team, I help organize youth events and recently supported the opening of a Teen Center in Owatonna, a space where young people can connect, grow, and thrive. I also engage in legislative advocacy, working to expand access to mental health resources, supporting policy efforts in multiple states, and authoring Minnesota legislation focused on mental health training for coaches.
On top of it all, I’m the founder of ELEactive, a Minnesota-based activewear brand rooted in the mission of Embracing Life’s Experiences, blending physical health, mental wellness, and confidence. This comes from my love of fitness. You can often find me running, cross-training, heavy lifting, or in a CrossFit class, as I have a deep love for throwing heavy weights over my head.
And, of course, the Miss America Opportunity has given me a platform to do what I love most: serve and make a difference. I’ve proudly held the titles of Miss South Central (2021 & 2023), Miss Hastings (2022), Miss Owatonna (2025), and Miss Waseca County Sleigh & Cutter (2024 & 2026).
These titles represent more than a crown; they represent the communities that shaped me, the people who believed in me when I couldn’t find the means to believe in myself, and the legacy I live out every day that propels me forward, to be the person for others I once needed myself.
