I am Jasmin Hester, born Jasmin Ponkratz. I was born and raised in Green Bay, Wisconsin until I joined the Army as a Medic at 20 years old. I spent four years in the Army where I was stationed at Ft. Drum, New York and deployed for 15 months to Kirkuk, Iraq. After leaving the Army, I started a family and transitioned back to civilian life. I now have two daughters, one son, a cat, a turtle, a dog, and a hamster! You could say I have a little bit of a zoo in my household. I joined Advanced Management Strategies Group (AMSG) in 2020 as a Proposal Manager. I’ve since taken on a few additional roles, and I am incredibly blessed to be the International Philanthropy Program Manager leading AMSG’s participation in this fundraising adventure!
When I was deployed to Iraq, I saw a lot of devastation. I requested that my next assignment with the Army be one where I could deploy to Africa on a humanitarian mission. Unfortunately, the Army was not able to accommodate my request. Going to Africa is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me that I cannot believe is happening after so many years of yearning. I honestly thought it was going to live on my bucket list forever to never be accomplished.
I understand I cannot save the world, but I am incredibly fortunate that I get to participate in this Adventure for a Cause. Making even the smallest, but lasting, positive impact on someone in Makindu is my goal. I hope to raise funds that will impact so many lives via the Makindu Children’s Centre. Thank you in advance for donating, sharing, and thinking positive thoughts about this cause.