All of us have met at least a person at school who seems to know where they are going and passionate about their goals. Their drive for life is commendable and desirable. I think that secretly we all aspire to have that drive to feel fulfilled and having a deep meaning in life. Meeting Jeanine Ashforth was that person for me. Having gone through the loss of her fiancé, Captain Benjamin Robinson Kommer, when he took his life left her wondering what happened and why it happened. She found purpose out of this tragic event not only for her life but also for her studies. Jinx, as she called herself, is not a veteran so in order to understand the situation, she started to research about suicide among veterans (about 22 per day), it was very clear that she would do something if nobody else would.

Arming herself with education, Jeanine joined two Grad programs at USF St. Pete. Both programs are fused to complete, complement and broad her goals as the founder, CEO and Executive Director at the non-profit organization called Student Veterans Housing Association of America (SVHAA). This organization is a brand new model of a non-profit residential real estate offering supporting services and education for veterans entering the civilian life after service. The mission of the organization is to give veterans a place where they can find purpose, team building, and sense resilience.

Meeting Jinx was insightful and inspirational. At the moment she is in Washington D.C. making her project a reality. If you are wondering how to get this passion for life or what are the steps to find a purpose for your life, look no further. Jinx explains it all and what catapulted her to be passionate about her purpose in life and how to motivate people to follow their passion.

5 Ways to pursue the path of purpose according to Jeanine Ashford.

• 1- If life gives you lemons, make lemonade:

In the face of adversity, find a way to turn darkness into light. You will feel empowered and in control rather than defeated and powerless.

• 2- Nobody gets passionate about faceless numbers:

If you feel you want to find that drive of purpose in your life then get out of your ‘comfort zone.’ Meet the people in need, talk to them, learn from them, and have compassion for them. Being compassionate about bringing social justice, healing and/or fairness will make you passionate to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves.

• 3- School is a place to transition, to learn and to find purpose:

College is the place to explore what your choices are in life. Take this challenge and learn from people like Jeanine. Learn from professors and peers. Find a support group that has similar goals and aspirations. Find a mentor and ask them to teach you a plan of action. And remember, emotions can only take you so far, so make sure you also have a spiritual plan to find support from your spiritual tribe.

• 4- Never take no for an answer:

If nobody has followed an idea like yours and you are sure you are up to something good, do not take no for an answer. Just because it has not been done before, it doesn’t mean your idea is not good. If you believe in your project, bring it to life with excitement and passion.

• 5- Your idea is necessary and feasible:

If your idea and vision can be transmitted to others and communicated as simple, people will have an easier time coming along and helping you. You need others to make people aware of your mission in life. Make it easy for them to follow you and your vision.

Now that you are on your way to find a passionate purpose for your life, do not forget to look for Jeanine Ashford on campus and volunteer for SVHAA.

If you are a veteran, join forces to help complete the mission of SVHAA. If you are a civilian, at SVHAA you will learn to protect and to serve the veterans in need. They are the ones who have sacrificed their life so we can have freedom. Meet our heroes and find a purpose in your life. To learn more about SVHAA contact Jeanine Ashforth at 941-586-0660 or via email Jeanine.Ashforth@gmail.com.

This is her bio in her own words:

"An advocate by accident, Jeanine Ashforth returned to higher learning in 2014, months after the death by suicide of her 82nd Airborne Army fiance at Ft. Bragg. After securing a Psychology degree in 16 months, she considered how to get the field’s new lessons of resilience to the former servicemen and women now completing suicide at a rate of 20 per day. So she returned to her 2005 honors thesis intended for adolescent survivors of abuse: an 100 page graphic novel she had researched, written, and drawn, alloying narrative therapies with self- authorship theories to tell the tale of one abuse survivor who rewrote her destiny. Now she does the same work for a veteran audience, interviewing “heroes of reintegration” from the Special Operations community and illustrating their stories of transition into graphic narratives to inform the path of other veterans. Jeanine is also the Executive Director of a nonprofit for creating student veteran housing communities, serves as Tampa’s Grief Care Group coordinator for TAPS (the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors), and is concurrently pursuing an MBA and MLA from the University of South Florida system. She is grateful to be part of the conversation on alternative expressions of mental health narratives."