Growing up fluent in Spanish and English as a first-generation Peruvian-American gave Jessica Aspinwall Springsteen ’93 direction toward fulfilling goals and reaching destinations in her personal and professional life. She’s also fluent in a different kind of language: involvement. It’s in her nature to be participatory in any community. Being involved at various turns of her life translated into opportunities that helped her navigate, appreciate, and give back to the world around her, both near and far.

She lived in a cultural duality as an adolescent in the 1980s, sometimes feeling “too Latin to be American” while being referred to as “the Americana” when visiting Peru. Ultimately, the experience brought her ease in being part of a global community. After graduating from Flint Hill, she went to Catholic University in Washington, D.C., where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in politics and a Master of Arts in international affairs; it was a perfect fit.
Jessica didn’t plan on being an attorney. She wasn’t interested in litigation. However, while completing her graduate studies, she worked in the International Finance Corporation’s (IFC) legal department, where she became intrigued by the work of transactional lawyers. Those attorneys navigated complex deals in emerging markets in less-developed countries, and such deals financed projects like power plants, solar wind farms, ports, or airports — key infrastructure that allows society to move. “The lawyers with their outside counsel would draft the documents and do the deal,” she says, “and I thought, ‘wow, that’s really fascinating because the mission is to alleviate poverty at IFC, and that really speaks to me.’ They were doing work in Latin America, and I used my language skills.”
She decided to go to Catholic University’s Columbus School of Law at night for four years while continuing to work at IFC, an experience she called “endurance training” that prepared her for the next step — the law firm of Clifford Chance, where she has been for 14 years. “Being at this law firm in the international world,” she says, ”my attitude was to be involved in projects that made an impact. The work I do here is mostly focused in Spanish-speaking Latin America in energy and infrastructure — electricity, any type of renewable energy, and then roads, ports, and airports — representing the builders and the entities that are financing.”
Today, Jessica is an equity partner at Clifford Chance, and her involvement at the firm has expanded to include participation with various committees, including their strategy board and their environmental, social, and governance board. She is also the personnel partner and enjoys the mentorship aspect for younger associates. “I’m the bridge between the new generation and the more seasoned generation,” she says. “It’s a nice place to be, and it gives the associates a chance to see that it’s a collaborative place and how people are involved.”

Outside the workplace, she joined the Council on Foreign Relations, a nonpartisan think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy and international relations. “You participate in all sorts of discussions that are important globally and try to move the needle on whatever is important to the person,” she explains, “That’s an outlet that has given me a lot of pleasure in the sense that I want to be part of the conversation.”
Serving on local boards, for Imagination Stage and EduFuturo, has also been important to Jessica. Imagination Stage, which promotes theater experiences for young people, played a significant role for her son, Lucas, who is a performer, and she was on the board for six years. More recently, she joined the board of EduFuturo, a nonprofit organization that empowers immigrant youth to become first-generation college students and assists families with tools and resources to use towards that goal. She also serves on the board of the Clifford Chance Foundation, which provides funding to strategic pro bono work. “Being of service has been a meaningful experience. It’s been really key for me to feel like I’m in the community and making a difference,” she says. “Communities really do get impacted by seeing others be of service to others.”
She has also made time to participate with Flint Hill’s Alumni Association and to “pay it forward.” She started as a Falcon at Flint Hill Prep and, within the year, became a Husky during the transition to Flint Hill School. Her graduating class had 32 students, and she still has close friends from high school. “I’d never been camping overnight in my life,” she says, and credits Flint Hill with giving her unique experiences like that.
Over the years, she attended various alumni events and hosted reunions at her home, and she plans to do more. “A lot of my traits were supported by Flint Hill. I was allowed to be myself, and I felt that I belonged. It was exactly the kind of place I needed to be,” she remembers. “I value that they were very nurturing. That was a huge benefit and really powerful for me. They gave me so much, I feel like I want to give back, share my experience, and enrich that community as much as I can.”
Jessica Springsteen’s trajectory has clearly shown her to be ready, willing, and able to jump into various aspects of work and life. She is comfortable adapting to change and pivoting. Simultaneously, she has been very conscious of not overextending herself. She served on one board at a time at first, for example. And, while she has accomplished much, she says, “For me, it’s not about achievement. When you’re younger that’s what you think. It’s much more about your own evolution as a person. ‘Am I growing? Am I participating? Do I have a purpose here?’ My whole life has been about growth. Getting grades, graduating, and becoming partner were great milestones, but more than that, it’s been about growing as a human and finding ways to grow with x community or x board. Where can I continue my evolution as a person and also contribute?”
“For me, it’s not about achievement. When you’re younger that’s what you think. It’s much more about your own evolution as a person.”
Jessica Aspinwall Springsteen ’93
Enjoying the process and being present in the moment have taken on new meaning for Jessica as priorities have changed, a message she teaches her kids now. “It’s fabulous when the show goes off without a hitch or you graduate from law school, but it’s the whole process — embracing that rather than focusing so much on the end result — because when you get there it’s somewhat anticlimactic. But what I loved was ‘the getting there,’ the ups and the downs.”
Language and cultural fluency have been essential in her life. In college, she added Italian to her repertoire while studying abroad. Spanish, however, has been primary and indispensable. “Speaking Spanish has been the single reason I have had the jobs I’ve had,” she recalls. She shared her love of languages with her children, who are fluent in Spanish. She also notes that the Flint Hill community cared about that part of who she is: “[The administrators and teachers] were leaders in supporting Hispanic culture well before their time, and that’s something they should embrace. That somebody they nurtured has been able to achieve what people would say is success, I think that’s a large testament to the School.”
Of all the communities she is part of, her constant and ever-reliable one is her family who supported her in many ways while she pursued her purposeful passions. She’s grateful to live in a multigenerational household with her parents, husband, and children. “It’s been amazing for my sons to grow up with their grandparents, to know them, and to be able to get their perspective and to pass on all the things I love about my Peruvian culture — respecting your elders, greeting people, and participating when you come into a house. That has been lost in a lot of cultures, which is terrible because we’re humans, and we have a responsibility to our elders who have given so much and to whoever is in front of us. That kind of civility is important.”
Jessica Springsteen’s journey is a testament to purpose, connection, and growth. As an international lawyer, mentor, and dedicated community member, she bridges worlds and creates meaningful impact. Whether empowering youth, preserving family traditions, or mentoring future leaders, Jessica embodies resilience and service, leaving a legacy of authenticity and care. She has truly raised the bar and shown that a purposeful life is one well-lived.