James is a rising second year at the University of Chicago who is majoring in Law, Letters, and Society and Political Science with a minor in Creative Writing. James’s past research experience includes being mentored by Dr. Christopher Ankersen, a Clinical Professor of Global Affairs at the NYU School of Professional Studies, to conduct research on the international legal system and the levers of power it holds to draw and maintain territorial sovereignty. It included researching treaties, legal briefs, and conducting a case study of the Crimean peninsula. Apart from research, James has also been involved at the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics as a the Events and Logistics Coordinator of the Leaders of Color cohort, which is an incubator for politically involved people of color that provides mentoring, resources, and community building events to support them, and as a member of the Bridge Writing Workshop, which holds creative writing workshops at the Cook County Jail. Additionally, James is a Special Project Consultant at the Community Programs Accelerator which provides consulting advice to non profits on the South Side of Chicago. Outside of the classroom and his extracurricular activities, James enjoys running on the lakefront, backpacking, and making zines.