Gaston holds multiple pageant titles, with a platform that promotes work-life balance. It is something that she also practices as a wife, mother and financial expert.
She learned to perfect that balance early. Her son, now 13, was just eight months old when she entered the University of Dayton School of Law. Gaston earned her degree and then “fell in love with finance,” she said. She then got a Master of Business Administration degree in finance from Johns Hopkins University.
A senior financial manager at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, she also has helped more than 1,000 Dayton residents as the owner and founder of The Finance Doctor. Through that work she has watched her clients purchase vehicles and homes, making changes that benefit them far into the future.
“It’s really amazing to see people break free financially,” said Gaston, who can be contacted for financial services at jessicapgaston@gmail.com.
Gaston, 34, began entering pageants to share her story, never thinking she would win. She is this year’s Mrs. Ohio United States, Mrs. Dayton America and Mrs. Ohio American Elegance. She also was named last year’s Mrs. Ohio International, becoming the first Black woman to hold that title.
Now she uses her platform to encourage other women to step forward, believe in themselves and accomplish their dreams. She urges them to reconnect and rediscover their core motivations.
“I want women to feel as though they can leave room for themselves,” she said.
Two things tend to motivate people: their finances and quality time with their family, Gaston said, and most household issues are a result of a lack of work-life balance. Not finding that balance can result in lower self-confidence and depression, as well as marital and financial issues.
Know when to say no, when to get involved and when to step back, Gaston said.
Gaston, one of five kids, grew up with both parents in the U.S. Army and lived in 12 states and Germany before settling in the Dayton area 13 years ago. She also is a caretaker for her husband, Mark, who has kidney failure.
Gaston is an example of someone who is busy with both her family and career and still works to improve her community, said Jenese Tchokouani, who nominated Gaston as a Dayton Daily News Community Gem.
She first met Gaston a couple of years ago at a meeting in Dayton of the American Business Women’s Association, and throughout that time she has seen the impact that Gaston has made on others through her financial services. In addition, her pageant platform exemplifies her selflessness and her care for her family and community, Tchokouani said.
“She still makes time for her community, to help it, to grow and to become a better place,” she said.
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