Be True to Yourself By: Jasmine Tucker

Growing up I’ve seen the ‘good life’ and ‘the struggle’. My dad is an entrepreneur and my mom is a teacher so I’ve seen them at the peak, and at rock bottom. Over the years my parents have always expressed how important school was, so that I could get a good job. You’d think my dad would’ve encouraged me to start a business, but that didn’t happen.I got my first job at 17, and soon after I was working three jobs. I graduated high school a semester early and I worked part time while taking care of my physical health. This is when I became interested in joining the Army Reserves, and I had to lose 20lbs to join. I was able to lose all of that weight in 2 months, and I signed up to leave later in the summer for basic training. My main reason for joining the Army was so that they could pay for school, I was also told that I wouldn’t deploy. 2 years later, I’m on deployment in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba while juggling full time school (online). That deployment was the worst time of my life, but I’d say it changed me for the better. Coming home, I couldn’t find a job for a couple of months. I then began working at a pizza place part-time while attending University of Illinois at Chicago. During my last year of school, I started wanting to work for myself. I thought about real estate, but I didn’t know where to start. I then became a leasing agent, until I found a mentor that invests in real estate. Since then, I started my own company as a real estate investor and so many more doors are opening up for me. I’m graduating in 2 weeks with my BA in Psychology. The plan was to continue my education until I no longer could, but things change. I fell in love with real estate. I fell in love with owning a company. I fell in love with the idea that I could help so many other people sooner rather than later. My business is still relatively new, and I’m still learning daily. In the next couple of months, my boyfriend (who’s also my business partner) and I plan to start a non-profit for teens to gain more confidence and knowledge. We’re also in the middle of opening up a franchise. I don’t have everything together, but I am progressing. I wanted to tell my story because I wanted to give someone the confidence to do whatever it is that they want to do. I didn’t originally have that confidence, and if I did I could be a lot further than I am today. So, don’t ever think your dream is too big, and don’t think you always have to follow through with your original plan. Goals can change daily. They’re supposed to change, and you are too. Trust the process. Be true to yourself!

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