Her Story
About Asha
I started my career with a background in business and fashion, earning an associate's degree in fashion merchandising with the original plan to become a buyer for a store, and I even did some modeling myself when I was a teen for a couple different brands. I then went back to school and got my bachelor's degree in business management. Right out of school, I started working for MassMutual, a broker-dealer and insurance company, managing brokerage accounts, so I do have a background in investing. What inspired me to get into my current field was honestly just being a teen myself and seeing where my community was going. Unfortunately, I had some friends that were involved in the streets, and we had some friends pass away, so a group of us got together and talked about what we could do to change this for the future generations coming up. We came up with the idea to start doing fashion shows because we know that fashion and music have a really big influence on teens and kids, and we wanted to create an event that would get people involved and not in the streets, focusing on positive things. Now, as program director of Strong Young Minds for the past 4 years, I work with youth helping them with financial literacy, teaching them how to invest, career readiness, self-confidence, and public speaking. During the school year, kids come into our building after school for lessons that vary from mental health talks to structured financial literacy lessons on credit, opening bank accounts, and investing. In the summer, we run a camp with outdoor activities, sports, hiking, and field trips. We hold a really big fashion show every year where kids interested in designing their own brand or modeling get to participate, and I usually style some of the kids in different clothes for my own scene. We've seen so many kids who were super shy at first end up absolutely loving it, and you definitely see their confidence built throughout the time. We've recently expanded the program, taking kids from Springfield, Mass to Los Angeles in 2024 and Atlanta in 2025, giving them opportunities to see other places. I plan on going back to school for a master's degree in international business and bringing it back to what I do now to teach kids interested in business how to do things internationally.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Asha
01What do you attribute your success to?
I would definitely say my family. They have been my backbone through school and even still now in my adult years. So definitely family, and then also my community.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
I would say really just loving what you do, right? Because if you love what you do, then it really isn't work. And it's true - you spend most of your life going to work, so you don't want it to be miserable.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say definitely don't be afraid to try something new. You never know, you might enjoy it.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenges I face are feeling burnout sometimes - dealing with children can definitely be a lot - and also finding resources. Being a non-profit, sometimes trying to find funding for a lot of the things that we would like to do is tough and it's scarce. But somehow, someway, we always make it happen, whether it's through fundraising or just getting out in the community and asking for donations. As for opportunities, there's definitely traveling - we recently started expanding the program, so in 2024 we went to LA for the first time and took some of the kids from Springfield, Mass out to Los Angeles for a fashion show, and the following year we traveled to Atlanta. It gives an opportunity for the youth to be able to see other places, and also the staff. We also always try to find employment opportunities for the youth, especially in the summertime, for them to make money. It gives them an incentive too, because who doesn't want to make money, especially your own money.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me are definitely family, self-care, and integrity. I really believe you have to remember to take care of yourself, because if you're not doing it, who else will? I know everyday life gets chaotic and we get busy, but you can't pour from an empty cup.
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