Faces Of Nantucket: Jasmine Lee

Name: Jasmine Lee

Years on the island: 6 years

Favorite thing about Nantucket: the people – the wide variety of people on the island; and the seasons.

It’s 2:30 p.m. in the afternoon. Do you know where your children are? If they’re on Nantucket, there’s a good chance they’re about to come barreling into the Boys & Girls Club. And it's a safe bet that Jasmine Lee's smiling face will be there to greet them. 

"It's honestly my favorite part of the day," Jasmine said. "It's crazy how many kids we can fit in here at one time and to see them fresh out of school, ready to decompress, and just super excited to be here. It's just the best part of the day."

With 350 kids making their way to "the club" every day, Jasmine is one of the people who makes it a special after-school refuge for Nantucket's youth. A place where they can connect, be safe, have fun, and find community.

"It's a beautiful scene to see all these different organizations and schools come together for the kids," Jasmine said. 

Jasmine has worn many hats over her six years with the club, starting out as a program assistant "on the floor" working with the kids, then at the front desk, working her way up to the club's office and then into her current role as director of advancement. It's given her a unique perspective on the club's mission and helps her convey the value of the organization to the community and generous donors who fund its programming during the events she spearheads throughout the year.

Jamie Foster, the club's chief executive officer, calls Jasmine "the face of the club."

"All the kids know her and adore her," Foster said.

Jasmine, who grew up in Indiana and graduated from the University of Chicago, had no previous connection to Nantucket before taking a job at the club in 2018. She's since obtained an MBA during the COVID-19 pandemic and immersed herself in the club's community. 

"I kind of grew up here and the club really allowed me to explore so many different things: Marketing, fundraising, and back-end technology, all these things," she said. "As the club has grown, I've grown with it. Maybe that's why I have my hand in so many things. But I also just feel so responsible for the club that I'm a little bit of a control freak and like to have my hands in those things. I just love the kids."

While Jasmine admits thinking there was actually a bridge to the mainland when she first moved to Nantucket, she has since become well-versed in island living and enjoys the wide variety of people and changes of pace alike.

"I fell in love with the kids, Nantucket, the island, and the number of people I've met out here who are unique and special and generous, it's crazy the people you meet out here," she said. "I never would have expected that on this island."

Faces of Nantucket is our new portrait series by Nantucket Current contributor Charity Grace Mofsen spotlighting members of the island community who make it a better place to live, work, and play. We’ll be sharing a new edition each Friday. Do you have someone you’d like to nominate for this series? Email us at nantucketcurrent@n-magazine.com