Jay Gaskin graduated in May with an interdisciplinary studies degree combining art, business, political science and communication and a certificate from the Pierre Laclede Honors College. This summer, he’s interning at STL-TV. (Photo by Derik Holtmann)

Jay Gaskin traces his love of fashion to high school when he started dressing up for school every day and, in turn, coming into his own. He became known as a fashion guru at school and students and teachers would frequently compliment how he dressed, which boosted his confidence and made him more social.

After high school, his interest in fashion led him to the University of Missouri–St. Louis, where he put together an interdisciplinary studies degree combining art, business, political science and communication with the goal of pursuing a career as a stylist.

“At the time, I knew going into fashion I would need all of those skills in those different areas in order to be a good communicator, be business-savvy, be well-versed in art and know my history and references,” he said.

But during his senior year, Gaskin, who graduated in May, had a revelation. The fashion industry is notoriously difficult to break into, often requiring people to take unpaid internships, and he knew he wouldn’t be able to afford to do so. Styling would also be a largely behind-the-scenes job, which might not be suited to his gregarious, outgoing personality. Eventually, he realized that it wasn’t necessarily fashion that he loved – it was talking to people.

As a student at UMSL, he was able to further refine that passion. He learned how to communicate better in the discussion-based courses in the Pierre Laclede Honors College, and he grew comfortable with public speaking while giving tours of campus and working in the Office of Admissions as a Triton Leader.

“It took up until recently for me to realize, ‘Oh, I think I would be great for TV or podcasting or something like that,” he said. “I can see myself in media, on TV, podcasting, so why not just start?”

With his new focus in mind, Gaskin started charting a new path focused on media and entertainment. He began hosting a talk show on UMSL Radio, “Pop Culture with Jay,” that covers pop culture, current events and societal issues. He’s been passionate about pop culture – especially female singers including Beyoncé, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj and Rihanna – ever since he was a kid.

“I’ve always been intrigued by celebrities,” he said. “They’re in the public eye and they’re put on this pedestal – we’re taught to pay attention to them through how the media values celebrity and puts so much focus on it. I think the glamour of celebrities is part of it, too. There were so many good pop culture moments at award shows and now we’re in the era of social media and these trends that come about on social media, especially on TikTok, about different topics and it becomes a part of the conversation overall. I like dissecting pop culture, keeping up with it, having conversations about it.”

This summer, Gaskin is taking the next step toward a career in media with an internship with STL TV, a local government-owned TV station that covers Board of Aldermen meetings, mayoral press conferences, public events and other government-related programming for St. Louis City residents.

As an intern, Gaskin is learning about all the different aspects of working on a television set and helping out with a variety of tasks. One day, he might be at the front desk helping with filing; another, he might be helping to move parts of the set. He’s also shadowed producers to learn how to edit and schedule segments and accompanied the production team out in the field when they do live shots.

“I want to learn about everything,” he said. “It’s important to not just have all this knowledge in one area. I want to go into media, so it’s important to know all the different aspects of TV and media and I will really be able to learn through this internship because it’s small; it’s not a big staff.”

After his internship wraps up at the end of the summer, Gaskin will be doing another internship in news and lifestyle with First Alert 4 to gain more experience in media. He can also picture himself in the classroom and will be substitute teaching this fall to get some experience under his belt. He dreams of one day being able to teach an elective class on his favorite subject: pop culture.

Regardless of which path he pursues, though, he feels his experience at UMSL – from discussing sometimes difficult topics in the Honors College to projecting his voice to a crowd on campus tours to hosting his own radio show through UMSL Radio – has more than prepared him for his next steps. Most importantly, either route will allow him to do what he loves.

“Whether I go into media and entertainment, at the foundation, I just love to talk,” he said. “With TV, especially because I want to be the talent, and with teaching, you’re doing a lot of talking, professing and explaining stuff like that. They’re both very active industries. For those reasons, I feel like they could both be good fits.”