BALANCING ACT – PROFESSION AND PASSION My name is Ashtyn Duncan and I graduated from Texas
Southern University in December of 2017. While at TSU I had the opportunity of being involved in numerous campus organizations such as NABA (National Association of Black Accountants) , AABE( American Association of Blacks in Energy), JHJ Fellows, and the Student Government Association. I was also heavily involved as a on campus ambassador for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and served as a Walmart First Generation mentor. I was a member of the Thomas F Freeman Honors college, and TSU Women’s Volleyball team for two years. During the summer of my Junior and Senior year I studied abroad in China, Austria, and the Czech Republic. I also had the opportunity of interning at Amegy Bank of Texas and interning as an Operation Control Specialist at NASA Johnson Space Center. I stayed extremely busy while in school!
After graduating from TSU, not much has changed in terms of keeping myself busy!
I took a role at Microsoft as a member of the Finance Rotation Program (FRP) in March of 2018. During the rotational program, I had the opportunity to learn more about how Microsoft operates as a global tech company and works to live out our mission of empowering every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. I even had the opportunity of traveling to Singapore, Ireland, Australia, and Denmark within my first 6 months at the company! During my final rotation in the FRP program I lived fulltime in Johannesburg working to support the South Africa subsidiary by providing clarity on key data points to drive actionable insights on Cloud ROB Activities. I was truly, “living my best life” and then out of nowhere the COVID-19 pandemic happened. After returning home from Joburg the plan was to move to Atlanta to begin my next adventure and role at Microsoft. This plan eventually turned into me moving back home to Houston and to work fulltime remotely. At the height of the pandemic, I noticed something. 1.) For the first time in a while, I had a lot of time on my hands to rest. 2.) There were numerous people on social media pursing different interest and passions that had been placed on the back burner do to adulting. I have always been passionate about the fashion industry and the different pillars that go into the creation process. Particularly when it comes to the modeling side of house. Growing up I never was able to fully see myself represented in the industry. Thankfully, things have changed. After giving myself numerous pep talks, I decided to reach out to a few modeling agencies in Texas. A few short days later I was contact by Page Parkes Modeling Agency, and my next adventure officially began. I signed with my Texas agency in February of 2021, and within the year was signed in the New York and LA market as well. I have had some amazing opportunities within a short period of time. I’ve worked with Francesca’s, GAP, Target, Urban Outfitters, Rue 21, and many other amazing brands. I have truly been blessed to be in a position where I can continue to pursue my passion for technology and fashion at the same time. I do my best to keep these passions separate and maintain the highest level of professionalism while interacting within both industries. I would encourage anyone one the fence about starting something new, reconnecting with something they use to love to 100% go for it! We truly never know what can happen in this life. However, with a lot of prayer and self-belief the possibilities are endless.
Ashtyn Duncan
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