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a dynamic duo Jasmine and Jaelynn Pitt
f
or Wake Forest University senior Jasmine Pitt, the definition of
a good leader is straightforward: “You have to be somebody who’s worth following.” Her sister, Jaelynn, a Wake Forest University sophomore, adds that focus and teamwork are important traits of any leader. Both young women exhibited those characteristics while attending West Forsyth High School in Clemmons. Their parents, Michael and Debra Pitt, taught their daughters to focus on their passions. The sisters learned how important it is to contribute to what you care about because that is how you will be most effective; both have positive memories of their parents’ volunteerism, such as their mother serving as PTA President at Moore Elementary School and their father managing Jaelynn’s soccer team.
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the winston-salem foundation annual report
Jasmine was vice president of the Multi-Cultural Society and secretary of the Girl’s Service Club in high school. At Wake Forest, she is on the Varsity Dance Team, and has served as a Girl Scout leader, a student mentor, and an orientation leader for incoming freshmen. She has studied Spanish for several years and spent a semester in Spain participating in a language immersion program while also volunteering at a local elementary school there. Both young women were Crosby Scholars. Jaelynn was junior class secretary at West Forsyth and was a member of the Multi-Cultural Society and the Student Leadership Council. She received a Dean Prim Scholarship from The Winston-Salem Foundation to travel to China, where for a month she attended classes, traveled, and explored. That adventure in a country where she did not speak the language clearly appealed to Jaelynn. “It was the best experience of my life,” she says with an infectious smile. Not one to be intimidated, she learned to communicate despite the language barrier, and she hopes to return some day. She plans to focus on a career that capitalizes on her strength in math. Jasmine admits that she had been introverted, but during high school she actively sought to develop her leadership skills by attending the General Shelton Leadership Center at North Carolina State University. She’s now considering graduate studies in law. “I like working with different groups of people,” Jasmine says. She’s seen there are many opportunities to help those who may not have resources available to them. She recognizes the importance of listening to other people to develop the best approaches to solving problems. Both young women have benefited from scholarships housed at The Winston-Salem Foundation. The Pitt sisters say they appreciate their scholarships to Wake Forest because those resources reduce the financial burden of attending a private university and enable them to focus on their studies. “I knew this is where I wanted to be,” Jaelynn says.