WashU senior Mason Shaver grew up in a St. Louis neighborhood where opportunities felt out of reach.
He often felt the odds were stacked against him and wondered whether he could break that cycle and succeed. When he arrived at WashU as a first-generation student, he carried the weight of ambition but not the map to navigate it.
“I had mentors in high school who told me I was capable of doing more, even when my circumstances suggested otherwise,” Shaver said. “Their belief in me pushed me to believe in myself, which is something that has shaped who I am and the kind of career I want to pursue.”
Still, mapping out a professional future was something he was not equipped to do on his own
“I didn’t have a roadmap,” he admitted. “A lot of my peers had family connections or mentors outside of school. I didn’t; so, I had to figure it out.”
That roadmap came into focus when Shaver connected with the WashU Center for Career Engagement (CCE). Through career coaching and eventually being selected for the Pershing Fellowship in Non-Profit Leadership, he began to translate his personal and academic experiences into professional opportunities.
“The CCE helped me see that my lived experiences mattered,” he said. “They showed me how to talk about my strengths and pushed me to pursue opportunities I wouldn’t have gone after on my own.”
For senior Asia Brantley, the CCE’s support came at a time when she wasn’t sure how to move forward meshing her academic, career and personal interests and strengths. Sophomore year marked a turning point for her when she tapped into the CCE for resume guidance, mock interviews and networking opportunities—tools that built her confidence and helped her land internships, including at KPMG in Chicago and with the James S. McDonnell Foundation in St. Louis.
“When I connected with the CCE, I didn’t have a clear vision for what was next,” she said. “I am an accounting and finance major, but my heart is in nonprofit work. So, the CCE worked with me to tailor a plan. I felt validated knowing they understood what I was looking for and helped me prepare for opportunities that aligned with my values, not just what people expect from a finance major.”
Her nonprofit passion began in high school, where music and grant writing sparked her drive to pair artistic talent with financial expertise. Most recently, her time at the James S. McDonnell Foundation offered a new perspective—seeing the “giving” side of grantmaking which deepened her commitment to economic mobility, financial literacy and equitable community development.
Both students point to the practical experience of their internships as a defining moment in their career journeys.
