ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: Ashley Ragin

As part of our 30th Anniversary celebration, we’re shining the spotlight on our amazing alumni! We’re proud to feature Ashley, an AAST alumna!

Ashley Ragin: Finding Direction Through African American Studies

Ashley Ragin ’16 entered college without a clear vision of what her future would look like. Through African American Studies at the College of Charleston, she began developing the perspective and critical thinking skills to create a path of her own.

A spring 2016 graduate, Ragin majored in Arts Management and minored in Business and African American Studies. Today, she is based in Columbia, South Carolina, where she serves as an Event Planning Coordinator with the American Heart Association. Her educational background also includes Television and Media Management at Drexel University.

From Uncertainty to a Sense of Purpose

Looking back on the beginning of her college experience, Ragin describes attending college as something she initially believed she was simply expected to do. African American Studies helped her move toward a more intentional understanding of her goals.

“This program opened doors for me to actually create a dream/plan for myself, and increased my critical thinking skills.”

The program became part of how she began identifying possibilities for her future. Alongside her studies in arts management and business, it offered opportunities to examine complex issues, consider different perspectives, and think more deliberately about the work she wanted to pursue.

Skills That Continue Into Professional Life

When asked which lessons from African American Studies remain most relevant, Ragin identifies four: critical thinking, inclusivity, planning, and purposeful work.

These values reflect the connection she sees between education, professional preparation, and thoughtful engagement with others. Her areas of expertise include event planning and recruitment, while her reflections on AAST emphasize the importance of considering different experiences and perspectives.

For Ragin, the program’s practical value includes developing the ability to analyze social issues, communicate clearly, and approach problems thoughtfully. Those skills can travel across professional settings and support students whose career interests extend into many different fields.

Connecting History, Culture, and Career Preparation

Ragin encourages current students to consider African American Studies as an opportunity to better understand the histories, cultures, and experiences that have shaped society.

She sees that knowledge as closely connected to career preparation. Research, communication, and critical thinking can support work in education, law, public policy, nonprofit leadership, business, communications, public relations, and social services.

Charleston’s historical and cultural landscape adds another dimension to the experience, offering opportunities to connect academic learning with the surrounding community.

Creating a Path Forward

Ragin’s story illustrates how African American Studies can become an influential part of a student’s education alongside other academic interests.

For her, the program contributed to both personal growth and professional direction. It helped her develop stronger critical thinking skills while creating space to imagine a future with greater intention.

That experience remains at the center of her encouragement to students: African American Studies can deepen their understanding of the world while helping them consider how they want to contribute to it.