Jessica Ashman ‘24

Jessica is a senior at the University of Notre Dame, studying Anthropology and Global Affairs with a concentration in International Development and a minor in Latino Studies. Jessica is passionate about topics having to do with sociocultural identity and its intersections with human development. She strongly believes in the power of social science research to generate informed solutions to complex problems. Jessica’s independent fieldwork took place in the Dominican Republic where she examined concepts of colorism, anti-Haitianism, national identity, and education. Over a two month period, she worked with two development NGOs to conduct interviews with Dominican and Haitian young adults. Currently, she works with Dr. Luis Felipe R. Murillo who conducts research on open technologies in Afro-descendent Brazilian populations. After graduation, Jessica plans to pursue her PhD in Socio-cultural Anthropology so she can continue her lifelong exploration of transnational blackness and the barriers to social inclusion. In her freetime, Jessica likes to sing, spend time with friends, and learn about other cultures.