When I started my freshman year at Michigan, I was your typical “leadership” oriented kid: overly involved in National Honor Society, a Class Rep, Student Council VP, etc. I had attended MASC/MAHS leadership camps for three summers and knew that many of my counselors were involved in Dance Marathon… it made sense for me to join, since those counselors seemed to have similar interests to me.  What I didn’t know when I joined DMUM in September of 2009 was how big of an impact this organization would have on my life. I expected that I’d make friends, raise money for a good-cause, and get to put on events. And all of those things were absolutely true. What I didn’t know was that I’d rise to be the Executive Director and raise the highest fundraising total in DMUM history, change my career trajectory because of my experiences, and meet the best friends of my life.

For many students (myself included) Dance Marathon is a way to get involved and to “give back”. It’s an organization with a clear path toward making a difference in the lives of kids with disabilities in the community—both through fundraising and through volunteer opportunities. What I think many forget to acknowledge, or don’t realize at the time, is the flip-side, and what Dance Marathon can give to students. 

1. Dance Marathon gave me the opportunity to use the skills that I learned as a BBA student at Ross in a real-world applicable setting. As the finance chair, I used my accounting and economic skills from class daily. As the Executive Director, I used my management, finance, strategy, and communication skills all the time. I often said that I “majored in Dance Marathon, and got a minor at Ross” because the real-world experience was so valuable.
2. Leading Dance Marathon caused me to reflect on my career trajectory. Upon graduation I followed a “traditional” business school path and worked in Software Sales at IBM. When I spent some time thinking about what made me happiest—where I really “light up”—I kept going back to my time in DM. I left the corporate world and went back to graduate school at Michigan to receive a Master’s in Health Services Administration. Now I work in healthcare administration at Michigan Medicine…a direct-tie to leading a nonprofit that impacts the health and wellness of kids! In fact, one of the programs I support administratively just applied for a funding grant from the Dance Marathon team ☺ It all comes full-circle!
3. I entered college with a ready-made friend group because I grew up in nearby Dexter and my boyfriend (at the time) was a year ahead of me at Michigan. By the end of my time at Michigan, all of my nearest and dearest friends came to me through Dance Marathon and were members of my Central Planning Team (CPT). This group of friends still participates in a regular and very active group chat, has frequent zoom calls, goes on vacation together (when it isn’t COVID) and is in each other’s weddings.  I love these humans with all my heart, and am so grateful that our shared passion as undergrads for improving the lives of kids has transitioned into “forever friendships” as we enter “real adulthood” (aka our 30s). 

Dance Marathon is an organization that does tremendous and amazing work to help kids at Mott… but more than that, it’s an organization that builds leaders and changes the lives of its members indefinitely. I am forever grateful.

FTK,

Jasmine Oesch