Name: Jasmine Helm
Job Title: Executive Assistant for the Education Exec Team
Heritage: Biracial
My name is Jasmine, and as well as being a CLF employee I am also an ex-BBA and CLF Post 16 student. I have been working here for the past seven years and within that time I have completed two apprenticeships in Business Administration (Level 3 and 4) and just over a year ago I secured my current role as the Executive Assistant for the Education Executive Team.
I fell into my work at the CLF by accident; as a student I had no idea just how much more to the education sector there is than teachers and students. Working within the Central Team has shown me that! Finding what I am good at has always been difficult for me, and so finding this path for my career has been the making of who I am today.
I am hoping to continue my studies, to further develop and learn new skills within the next year.
My grandparents, who made the decision to move to the UK from Jamaica all those years ago. I wouldn’t be here today had they not made that choice. They left all they ever knew behind to move here and restart their lives again despite all the struggles and challenges they had here. They did it for their family, and all future family that came.
When I hear “Black History Month”, what comes to mind is that it’s not just about learning the history of slavery, which is all I ever did during Black History Month when I was younger. It is a month to celebrate our heritage and all that comes with it.
More is being done in schools now, than when I was in school. I look at the activities and celebrations that students get to do now and I’m very envious that I missed out! There can always be more done, until it becomes about equity and not just equality.
Recent events across the globe have highlighted how far we still must go to eliminate racism, and it has also encouraged people from other ethnicities to be vocal allies and not be silent.
A message I have for black boys and girls across our trust is that there is a place for you; even when it might not always feel that way, there is.
