Jasmine Summers, has been appointed to Newcastle High School for Girls' School Governing Board, and is a 26 year old who recently left a successful career in investment banking to explore her true passion - entrepreneurship. Originally from Northumberland, Jasmine says it was her education that made her who she is today
When Jasmine was eleven years’ old her mum made a decision that would dramatically change her life – she successfully applied for a bursary for Jasmine to attend Newcastle High School for Girls (NHSG).
Jasmine joined NHSG in 2007 and has never looked back. ‘It was a wholly encouraging environment. Being at an all-girls school meant that there wasn’t as much distraction, and success and intelligence were celebrated. I was constantly reminded that I could be whoever – and whatever – I wanted to be. Ambition was encouraged, respected and supported.’
Jasmine excelled in maths and, following a Sixth Form Insight Day with a Japanese Investment Bank in London aged 16 (thanks to the Girls’ Day School Trust network that NHSG is part of), she decided to apply to study economics at university with the aim of pursuing a career in investment banking. After graduating from Edinburgh University in 2019 having been supported by a scholarship throughout, Jasmine successfully secured a position at a prestigious global investment bank based in Mayfair where she worked on numerous high profile transactions worth billions of pounds.
Jasmine said: ‘Investment banking is hard work, and the learning curve is steep, but it’s also incredibly rewarding. I found it thrilling reading about high profile transactions that I was working on in the press, and the exposure to such senior people (for example CEOs of FTSE 100 companies and Senior Government Advisors ) was fascinating. The world of mergers and acquisitions can be tough, but it’s an exciting place to begin your career.’
With a couple of years investment banking experience and a healthy savings account, Jasmine has decided to take time out to travel – which will see her horse-riding in Mozambique and trekking across South and Central America – before making her next career move.
She added: “With two years investment banking experience under my belt and the skills I have gained, I am going to enjoy a few months of travel knowing I can hit the ground running when I come back to the UK. I’m keen to explore entrepreneurial opportunities when I return, perhaps working in venture capital or at a start-up.”
At 26, Jasmine is the youngest on NHSG’s School Governing Board, something she decided to apply for in order to give back. “I’m especially keen to support the school in regards to its bursaries and scholarships programme. There are so many opportunities out there for people like me, who might not have had the means necessary to apply to a school like Newcastle High in the traditional way. Nobody’s future should be limited by their childhood circumstances, and I am so incredibly grateful to my mum for the lifechanging decision she made early on in my school career.
“I’d say to any young woman that, if you’ve a burning desire for success, you should absolutely look into bursaries or scholarships. Don’t simply settle for what’s in front of you – there are ways and means! And always remember that it’s cool to be clever.”