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Upward Pathways

Grace Fashanu ™22: An Advocate for Thriving Communities

Grace Fashanu ™22

To Grace Fashanu ’22, “community is everything.” During her four years at Whitman College, stimulating classes, grant-supported internships and student clubs provided opportunities to develop significant connections with people of many different backgrounds. Fashanu gained important technical expertise in research and business as an Economics major and Politics minor, complementing relational skills deepened through many meaningful leadership and volunteer activities. Together, all of these experiences supported her passion for developing thriving communities grounded in justice and equity—work she leans into in her role with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

At Whitman all of my interests were fostered, preparing me for the journey ahead.

Grace’s Pathway

July 2018 | Welcomed to Whitman as a Summer Fly-in participant: A pre-orientation program for first-generation and/or working class students to connect them with other Whitties and introduce them to everything Whitman has to offer.
2018 | Whitman Debate Team Member: While competing with Whitman’s highly-ranked debate team, Fashanu also volunteered to coach local high school students in congress debate as an effort expand a local outreach progam.
2018 | Whitman African Student Association Member
2019 | Summer Fly-In Student Leader
2020 | Hope Heals Management Consultant: Provided leadership training to a local non-profit organization as a member of the Whitman Student Consulting Corps funded by a grant from Sherwood Trust through the Career Community Engagement Center.
2020 | President of the Women of Color Voices Club
2021 | Admission Intern and Tour Guide
2021 | Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network Intern: Partnered with Politics professor Aaron Bobrow-Strain in an internship funded through the Community Engaged Summer Research Program to increase knowledge about immigrant communities in pursuit of language justice.
2022 | The Class of 1986 Minority Student Award: Recognized for her significant leadership advancing inclusive excellence and racial justice on campus.
May 2022 | Graduated as a Economics major and Politics minor
2023 | Financial Institution Specialist for the FDIC

Fashanu’s dedication to healthy societies is now invested on a national scale. As a Financial Institution Specialist for the FDIC in Austin, Texas, she spends her days promoting financial justice and equity in the banking sector.

Looking back at her college years, she says, “Whitman was where all of my interests, experiences and schooling came together to develop my skills and career trajectory.”  

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Published on Oct 11, 2023