The Confidence of Jasmine Sanders

A young Jasmine Sanders with her mom. Unaccredited Photo.

It was another uneventful summer afternoon in New York City when a young girl accompanied by an older woman cautiously walked through the front entrance. Their wide eyes and unsure demeanor gave away they were out-of-towners. James Loughlin, John Babin and the late David Bosman, of Boss Models New York stood to warmly greet them. The young girl’s name was Jasmine Sanders and I got to witness the very first time she and her mom, Ursula, walked into the modeling agency. Unlike the majority of models at Boss, I was a native New Yorker with a lot of time on my hands, so, I spent a considerable amount of time at the agency assisting with tasks or hanging out.

From that day forward, David Bosman (owner of Boss Models) held the South Carolina girl somewhat as a prized possession. It was no secret he envisioned Jasmine’s career in a way that separated her from the rest of the female models, though, wouldn’t openly admit it. He remained diplomatic and supportive of everyone under his agency. Nevertheless, Jasmine’s unique millennial look meant one thing more than anything else: Success. Past this, I personally considered Jasmine’s value to have originated from her parents.

Ursula has been a staple throughout Jasmine’s career. All the traveling, modeling jobs, castings, business and financial management issues was a lot for a mother to navigate.

How Ursula was able to juggle everything while sustaining family responsibilities never fails to impress me till this day. I remember thinking how cool it was for a mother and daughter to share the experience of coming to New York City for the first time. It was evident their relationship had the love and support other families quietly yearn for. I guess this is why I enjoyed conversations with Ursula; They were honest and polite yet filled with determination. I always envied her character. I reckoned that kind of support from parents was not entirely common then.

Today, Jasmine Sanders exerts confidence in every facet of her profession, but this isn’t built on her popularity on social media or her resume as a model. On the contrary, the “Golden Barbie’s” foundation was well-established before she became known, before she even came to New York. And this was only possible through parental sacrifice, investment and love.

Jasmine and her dad.

Confidence can be a fickle thing for some. There are thin lines between narcissism, arrogance, ego, conceitedness and confidence. Without the fundamental values instilled throughout her upbringing, without the living example of integrity, sacrifice and moral character, Jasmine may not have been able to sustain her modeling career in a consistent healthy fashion. And this where I’d like to acknowledge something critical:

The role parents play in the lives of their children’s careers should never be understated or overlooked.

We tend to think our parents only have value when it comes to personal matters. We may even be compartmentalizing our parents when growing up, convincing ourselves they wouldn’t understand, or, we anticipate their judgment for the choices we make. But in doing so, we could be suppressing a wealth of interaction and outcomes. I wholly acknowledge this isn’t applicable universally, but it’s possible that profound perceptions and untold wisdom lie dormant behind a door of parental disconnection. Jasmine’s core values were inspired by her parents — who ultimately served as a blueprint for personal and professional success.

If parents represent the initial aspiration of moral character, we recognize something deeply enduring: The continuity of their legacy, and the opportunities to evolve it.

I’m not talking about expectation; I’m talking about empowering our families and sacrificing for them…as both parent and child. It’s a two-ended path that allows love to influence the way we respond to those who matter most. We have to recognize how powerful and enduring these ideals are. Only then will we understand that cultivating an environment for healthy living and significant connection are ingredients for all sorts of prosperity.

It’ll be exciting to see how Jasmine’s career continues to unfold. Through it all, I’m confident she’ll be met with success in whatever she does. Especially with her parents enduring love and support.