CTK Alumna Remains Focused on Achieving Her Goals

At the fall 2017 CTK Rise Up event, standing in front of the room filled with people in her then senior year, Jazlyn Davis’ confidence grew as she spoke. That confidence remains today as demonstrated during a recent return to CTK to speak to current seniors as part of an alumni panel. An initially reluctant CTK attendee, Jazlyn now realizes her mother had been right (a tough thing to admit) in looking at the bigger picture. Her CTK experience had provided her with more opportunities than other high schools, it also had helped her develop skills which would allow her to navigate some challenges while in college.   

Once enrolled at CTK, Jazlyn took advantage of the opportunities available to her. She established herself as a class leader becoming a peer minister, National Honor Society treasurer, volleyball team manager, tutor, and volunteer at CTK events. She expressed her appreciation for all the CTK teachers and staff, mentioning Mrs. Rebecca Strugala and Mrs. Vickie Fultz as her most influential and supportive teachers. 

Despite being the first in her family to attend college, Jazlyn felt prepared to go away to college at Indiana State University. She thrived there for nearly two years, in her words, “I took on all challenges. I established myself, got to know people in my business classes, and was doing well academically and socially. Then COVID hit.” She lost family members to the virus and realized how much she missed and was missed by her mother, grandmother, and younger brother and sister. After she finished the semester remotely at home, she learned that a significant tuition increase would prevent her from returning to Indiana State. She was able to transfer to Concordia University in nearby River Forest allowing her to save on tuition and room & board by living at home.   

She cites her Corporate Work Study Program experience at Urban Partnership Bank as a big factor in her personal growth. “I gained some skills I didn’t know I needed. I learned how to speak with confidence, and dress and act professionally.” In her Concordia business classes, she is often the only female, as well as the only African American student. Dressing up professionally for her class presentations, something she learned while at CTK, has also helped her to stand out amongst her casually clad classmates. She is majoring in Business Marketing with a minor in Entrepreneurship, with an expectation of graduating from Concordia in fall 2022.

Jazlyn remains committed to achieving her goals of graduating from college and pursuing a career in business, specifically marketing. She mentioned embracing a favorite Grad at Grad characteristic of Jesuit high school graduates of being intellectually competent. It motivates her to think outside the box and be open to multiple options and ideas. Her post-college career search will involve exploring different industries, mentioning government, health care, and non-profit fields as possibilities. Wherever she ends up, she will surely follow the advice she provided to current CTK seniors, “to stay true to yourself and follow your heart.”