After Jennifer Ashman found herself in a remote Honduran village at 15 years old on her first international mission trip, she realized serving others meant stepping out of her comfort zone.
From there, Ashman said she developed a passion for mission work, serving in her community in Atlanta and traveling abroad twice more, returning with a new perspective each time.
It was those experiences that inspired her platform.
“My biggest goal when I came to Auburn was to make an impact,” Ashman said. “And whether it was going to be on one person or 100 people, like I said, that was my goal just because I feel like we’re all called to serve in a different capacity.”
“Going Beyond Borders” headlines Ashman’s platform, which focuses on serving anyone from Auburn residents to people overseas.
“I think being able to serve gives you a different perspective on things,” Ashman said. “Whether it’s serving at a soup kitchen or going abroad, those are two very different things. But you can get very similar things out of them.”
The platform aims to raise scholarships funds through Alternative Student Breaks for students who want to serve but lack the financial means, according to Ashman.
Ashman said she wanted to share her passion for serving with students by providing them with opportunities such as hers.
Ashman, junior in health care administration, was nominated for Miss Auburn through Pi Kappa Phi’s nomination and landed a spot in the top five on Nov. 17, 2015, after a round of interviews with the top 20 candidates.
“I’m just so so excited to get to be able to pour into the students of Auburn and get to hear the experiences that they’ve had and just have those stories shared with me and people who are my supporters,” Ashman said.
Outside of class, Ashman devotes her time to War Eagle Girls and Plainsmen and Alpha Xi Delta.
When she returns home to Atlanta, she loses the Southern accent she’s picked up in Auburn and adopts the British accents her English parents carry.
“I remember the first time I made sweet tea at home, my dad was like, ‘Your grandparents are turning over in their grave,’” Ashman said.
But without her parents’ move to the U.S. 25 years ago, Ashman said she might not have attended Auburn.
“They love it, and I’m extremely fortunate for it because I wouldn’t have opportunities like this that I could’ve never dreamt of in a million years,” Ashman said.
Now, as she reflects back on the Creed that inspired her enrollment at Auburn, George Petrie’s statement, “I believe in the human touch, which cultivates sympathy with my fellow men and mutual helpfulness and brings happiness for all,” has taken on a new sense of purpose for her.
“I believe George Petrie wrote these words to speak to a higher sense of purpose,” Ashman wrote in her platform sheet. “I believe his vision called upon students and alumni to come together to show others outside of Auburn what these values mean.”
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
