Jasmine Vasquez Santiago

I attribute my success to my mother's memory. Even though she didn't get a chance to live the life she deserved, she made me and gave me life, and I took that chance for her. Watching her die in my arms struck something inside of me that made me want to fight and not give up. She warned me about our family's history of cancer before she passed, and that knowledge, combined with her memory, drives everything I do. I'm living the life she never got to live, and I'm making something meaningful out of the chance she gave me. Her memory is what keeps me going, even through two cancer battles and all the challenges I've faced.

The best career advice I’ve ever received is the importance of networking and building meaningful professional relationships. Jadir shared that opportunities often come not just from what you know, but from who you connect with and how you show up for others. She emphasized that consistent relationship-building, authenticity, and maintaining strong connections over time can open doors, create mentorship opportunities, and support long-term career growth.

My advice to young women entering this field is to remember that “impossible” is really “I’m possible,” and not to let what you lack define your path. Focus on your strengths, believe in yourself, and keep moving forward even when circumstances feel limiting. I grew up in foster care without financial stability or traditional support, and I learned that success is built not only on what you know, but also on the relationships you build and the people who genuinely align with your vision. Surround yourself with individuals who share your purpose, values, and passion, and be mindful about who you trust to help you grow your mission. Most importantly, stay grounded in faith and purpose—lead with authenticity, give to others with intention, and trust that your commitment to helping people will guide you through every challenge.

The biggest challenges I face right now are limited access to capital, building the right team, and managing my own ongoing health needs while continuing to serve others. As a cancer survivor, I have to prioritize my health first, but the financial strain often limits how much I can do for the women and communities I want to support. I also learned that building a strong mission-driven organization requires surrounding yourself with people who truly understand and share your vision, rather than simply hiring those closest to you. On a personal level, my own cancer journey, including periods of limited mobility and isolation, showed me how little support exists for patients during treatment and how quickly people can disappear out of fear. These experiences continue to drive my mission to create stronger, more compassionate systems of support for cancer patients and survivors.

The values most important to me are faith, inspiration, motivation, and hope. Faith is the beacon of everything I do. It all starts with my relationship with God, which I found when I was young and went into foster care. Faith is what leads me and defines who I am, and it's what everyone knows me for, my faith-driven spirit. Everything else flows from there. Inspiration is critical because I love to inspire others and show them what's possible even in the darkest times. Motivation drives me to keep going and to motivate other people to keep fighting, especially when they feel like giving up. And hope is essential because I want to give people hope, to show them that hearing the word cancer doesn't mean you're going to die. I had stage 3 colon cancer and stage 2 triple negative breast cancer, the worst type with no treatment, and I beat both of them. Nothing is impossible because I'm possible. These values guide everything I do, from my nonprofit work to how I live my personal life, and they're what I try to share with every woman I encounter who's going through a similar battle.