Jasmine Stallion doesn’t count math as one of her strong suits, so her family has subjected her to a predictable amount of teasing ever since she took a job as an administrative specialist for UM-Dearborn’s Department of Mathematics and Statistics. She does, however, bring a suite of skills that are actually useful in the day-to-day of her new role, which also includes some additional support for the Women’s and Gender Studies program. She says her top-shelf organizational and time management skills are things she’s sharpened through experience — whether that was helping manage operations for a large commercial art gallery or making her way through college while working three jobs. Recently, we chatted with Stallion about what brought her to UM-Dearborn, why decorating your office is worth it and her side gig as a gospel songwriter and producer.
A career as an admin wasn’t the plan, but it’s worked out
Stallion graduated from Wayne State University in 2020 with a degree in public relations, but when she started her job search, she found the social media-heavy offerings in her field less than inspiring. So to pay the bills, she decided to take a job as an administrative assistant in a large commercial art gallery based in Southfield. To her surprise, she ended up liking the work a lot. It was diverse enough to be interesting: She spent a lot of time making plans for large public events, and within a few years, she was even managing her own team. But the hours were long, even three-day vacations were few and far between, and her work-life balance was totally out of whack. So she started to think about a job change. She recalled hearing good things from some acquaintances who worked in administrative positions at UM-Dearborn, so she started watching the jobs boards. When the administrative specialist position popped up in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, she decided to go for it.
It’s turned out to be a great move. The job still offers a lot of diversity, but the 9-to-5 rhythm and the ability to take actual vacations have given her quality of life a jolt. Her regular duties include helping manage grants for faculty and helping them book travel for conferences. But other things are constantly flying across her desk, including handling administrative details for events like the Math Corps summer program for elementary and middle school students or faculty colloquiums. “I sometimes have a hard time saying that word — ‘colloquiums,’” she says. “So I just started calling them ‘cocos.’ And then the students started calling them cocos, too, and now the faculty are, like, ‘Uh oh, Jasmine, you started a thing.’ But I think it maybe sounds a little more fun than colloquium — especially if you’re a 20-year-old student.” Stallion’s PR skills are still sharp.
The benefits of decorating your office
When Stallion started at UM-Dearborn, she noticed right away that her space needed a little Feng Shui. Admins are the natural first point of in-person contact in an office, but “when you walk into our main office, my office is around the corner, so unless you’re looking for me, you’re not going to find me,” she says. Given that she’d be working closely with faculty and students, she felt it was important to meet as many people as she could as quickly as possible. So in another pro PR move, Stallion adorned her desk with a bowl of free-to-take snacks. “After a while, people were coming in, saying, ‘Where are the chips? I heard you guys had chips.’ The faculty love it,” she says. She’s also tried to give her office space a welcoming vibe. She turns off the overhead lights and uses lamps instead. There’s a big piece of abstract art on the wall, as well as inspirational quotes that are natural conversation starters. “I also think it helps that I’m a little younger,” she says. “I’m not that much older than a lot of the students, so I think that makes our office maybe a little more approachable for them. And I wanted the feel of the space to reflect that."
Her college years were a split-screen experience
Stallion’s first two years at Wayne State University were what many students imagine college to be. She lived in the dorms her first year, carried a full course load, worked an on-campus job, got involved in student organizations and had summers off. That was facilitated by an arrangement she had with her mom, who followed in her father’s tradition of paying for the first two years of their children's college. Year three was a wake up call. “It’s sort of a running joke in the family, but I guess I didn’t believe her! I thought she’d maybe help me out for another year or two,” Stallion says. But her mom was serious, and in Stallion’s junior year, she was suddenly on the hook for those tuition bills. She had to make some serious adjustments. She had some savings, but she lived at home to save money and worked three jobs. “I remember I hated Thursdays,” she says. “I worked at the front desk at Livonia Family Dental from 6 a.m. until 10 a.m. Then I’d go to class. Then I’d go to my job at Visionworks, then do the closing shift at Bath & Body Works. Then I’d get home, do my homework and have to get up again at 6 a.m.” Stallion says she’s now grateful for the experience, which taught her a lot about discipline and time management. It also helps her understand the experience of the students she serves, many of whom have work and family obligations outside their studies. “We try to help out as much as possible,” she says. “Like, some students reached out because they were having trouble making their final exams during the assigned times. So we contacted some of the faculty members who had different exam times, and they agreed to proctor exams for students who weren’t in their classes, so we could give the students some flexibility. I love that we do stuff like that.”
Outside of work, she’s building a songwriting career
Stallion is taking full advantage of her new sense of work-life balance and pursuing her passion for gospel music. She and her husband, who works as a youth worship director at a church in Troy, started writing songs together in 2017, and they’ve since started a small songwriting business. On one of their most recent projects, they organized a group of friends to perform original songs, which they recorded and produced for the Detroit Collective’s debut album, “Our Stories.” The recording earned consideration for several Grammy nominations in the Gospel and Contemporary Christian music categories in 2024. She’s also working on another side hustle, where small businesses can hire out her admin services on an hourly basis. She hopes to officially launch that business in the next year, which means that — as in her college days — she’ll be working three jobs. But she says it feels a little different when you’re your own boss. “And I’ve definitely learned how to be wise with my time,” she says.
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Know a colleague who has an interesting job or passion outside of work? If so, please nominate them for our monthly Campus Colleagues feature. Story by Lou Blouin
