We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jasmine Robinson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jasmine below.

Hi Jasmine, thanks for joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I didn’t start Collegiate Moms Coalition from a boardroom. I started it from survival.

I became a teen mom of two while in my sophomore year of college. I remember sitting in class exhausted, pumping breast milk between lectures, calculating whether I could afford books and diapers in the same week. I wasn’t just trying to pass exams. I was trying to hold my entire life together. And what struck me most wasn’t just how hard it was. It was how invisible I felt.

There were scholarships for athletes. Programs for first generation students. Resources for almost every demographic you could think of. But there was no centralized, affirming space designed specifically for college moms. Women raising children while pursuing degrees were everywhere on campus, yet nowhere in the conversation.

The idea for Collegiate Moms Coalition came from that tension, the gap between potential and support.

I began asking myself logical questions. If education is one of the greatest pathways to economic mobility, and mothers are often primary breadwinners, why aren’t we intentionally investing in student mothers? If supporting one woman impacts an entire household, why isn’t there a national movement built around that truth?

I realized this wasn’t just a personal struggle. It was a systemic oversight.

What made me confident this would work was simple. I was the target demographic, and I knew I wasn’t alone. Every time I shared my story, another mother said, “Me too.” The need validated the vision. The response validated the model.

What excites me most is that we didn’t just create another scholarship program. We created community, visibility, and dignity. From financial literacy initiatives reaching nationally and internationally, to launching the only scholarship pageant exclusively for college moms, we built something that celebrates achievement while providing tangible resources.

We are solving more than a financial problem. We are addressing isolation, confidence, professional development, and long term economic growth.

Collegiate Moms Coalition was born from lived experience, but it is sustained by strategy. When a college mom graduates, the data shows her children are more likely to succeed academically and economically. That ripple effect is generational.

I knew this was worthwhile because I lived the problem and I could clearly see the solution.

This is not just a nonprofit. It is a movement rooted in the belief that motherhood and ambition can coexist, and that when we invest in mothers, we transform legacies.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Jasmine Robinson, and I am the Founder and Executive Director of Collegiate Moms Coalition, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering college mothers to graduate, lead, and build generational wealth. I am also a life and career coach, transformational speaker, and community organizer committed to helping women turn their lived experiences into leadership.

I did not enter this work through theory. I entered it through lived experience.

I became a teen mom of two while in my sophomore year of college. I was navigating coursework, childcare, financial stress, and the emotional weight of trying to prove that motherhood did not disqualify me from ambition. During that season, I realized something powerful. Student mothers were present on every campus, but we were invisible in policy, programming, and celebration. There were scholarships and support systems for many student populations, but very few intentionally designed for women raising children while pursuing degrees.

That gap became my calling.

Collegiate Moms Coalition was created to address both the practical and emotional needs of college mothers. We provide scholarships, financial literacy education, professional development training, community building experiences, and national visibility platforms. One of our signature initiatives is the only scholarship pageant in the world exclusively for college moms, designed not around appearance, but around academic achievement, leadership, and resilience. We also host financial literacy initiatives with impact reaching nationally and internationally, helping mothers build long term economic stability beyond graduation.

In addition to the nonprofit’s work, I provide speaking engagements, coaching, and strategic programming focused on resilience, leadership development, economic empowerment, and identity transformation. Whether I am speaking on a stage, coaching one on one, or developing curriculum, my work centers on helping women see their circumstances as strategy rather than setback.

What sets me apart is that this mission is deeply personal, but it is also strategic. I understand the emotional journey of student mothers because I lived it. At the same time, I approach the work with systems thinking. Supporting a mother through graduation is not just about tuition assistance. It is about access to information, confidence building, professional positioning, financial education, and community. When you invest in a mother, you influence an entire household. That ripple effect is generational.

I am most proud of building an organization that affirms women who are often overlooked. Since our founding, we have raised over twenty thousand dollars to directly support student mothers, and we continue to expand our reach. But beyond the numbers, I am proud of the stories. Mothers who once questioned whether they belonged in higher education now walking across stages with their children in the audience. Women who once felt isolated now leading chapters and mentoring others.

What I want potential partners, supporters, and followers to know is this. Collegiate Moms Coalition is not charity work. It is strategic investment. We are building leaders. We are increasing degree attainment. We are strengthening families. We are creating economic mobility.

And personally, I want people to know that my brand is rooted in authenticity. I do not separate my story from my strategy. I believe in excellence, but I also believe in empathy. I believe in structure, but I also believe in grace. Everything I build is centered on the idea that motherhood and ambition can coexist, and that when women are properly supported, they do not just succeed. They transform legacies.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

One of the clearest moments that illustrates my resilience happened during my sophomore year of college. I was a teen mom of two, juggling full time coursework, childcare, and financial instability. There was a week when my babysitting plan fell through right before midterms. I remember sitting on my bed late at night with textbooks open, one child asleep beside me and the other finally quiet after hours of crying. I was exhausted, overwhelmed, and seriously questioning whether finishing my degree was realistic.

I had every reason to pause. Financial pressure was heavy. Emotionally, I felt isolated. Logistically, everything felt fragile. But I made a decision in that moment that would shape the rest of my life. I decided that my circumstances would not dictate my ceiling.

I began restructuring my days with intention. I woke up earlier than I thought was possible. I studied in pockets of time between naps and feedings. I asked for help when pride told me not to. I built small systems to create stability where there was chaos. It was not glamorous. It was not easy. But it was disciplined.

That season taught me something critical about resilience. Resilience is not loud. It is not always a dramatic comeback story. Sometimes it is simply the quiet commitment to show up again the next day.

Years later, that same resilience became the foundation for founding Collegiate Moms Coalition. The organization exists because I refused to quit and because I recognized that there were thousands of other mothers navigating similar battles in silence.

Resilience, for me, is not just about enduring hardship. It is about transforming hardship into structure, vision, and impact. What once felt like my greatest obstacle became the blueprint for my purpose.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

First, consistency. I did not just talk about supporting college moms. I showed up repeatedly through programs, events, scholarships, workshops, and community conversations. Over time, people began to associate my name with advocacy, execution, and follow through. In the nonprofit and community space, trust is currency, and I have been intentional about protecting that trust.

Second, credibility. My work is rooted in lived experience, but it is supported by strategy. I understand the emotional realities of student mothers because I was one. At the same time, I approach this work with structure, measurable impact, and clear programming. When people see both heart and systems in operation, it builds confidence in your leadership. Raising over twenty thousand dollars to support student mothers, launching national initiatives, and creating the only scholarship pageant exclusively for college moms positioned the organization as both innovative and intentional.

Third, authenticity. I have never separated my story from my mission. I share transparently about my journey as a teen mom in college, not for sympathy, but for alignment. That transparency attracts the right partners, supporters, and mothers who see themselves in the mission. People connect with honesty, and that connection builds community.

Finally, collaboration has been key. I do not see other organizations as competition. I see them as potential partners. By building relationships across campuses, communities, and industries, I expanded both visibility and impact.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.collegiatemomcoalition.org/
• Instagram: @collegiatemoms
• Facebook: Collegiate Moms Coalition
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/collegiate-moms-coalition/?viewAsMember=true

Image Credits

McDonald Nwosu- O2 taken photography