Dejia Marie James '13 ALUMNI PROFILES You attended Park for Grades 9-12. How and why did you choose Park for your high school experience? I had the privilege of being an Oishei Scholar that afforded me the opportunity to attend Park School for my high school career. Immediately upon shadowing, I knew Park was a good fit for me because of its open (literal and figurative) environment, casual setting and diverse student body. Unlike other private schools in the area, I felt Park was a place that fostered or even encouraged individuality. Lastly, Park included an artistic and creative air that became infectious. Park very much was a place where the wildest part of my imaginations could take form. I continue to lead with my own spirit and intuition just as I learned to at Park. Park was the place where I could begin to unapologetically form who I am. If you had to describe Park in 3 words to someone, what would it be? Enlightening, Rigorous, Impactful What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think about Park? The first thing that comes to mind when I think about Park is Country Fair, caramel apples and Senior Chili. Real Parkies will understand! Favorite Park memory? Memorable Park faculty? Favorite spot on campus? My favorite Park memory is the giant all-school group hug after campus clean up day every year. Not sure if this still occurs, but I truly have never experienced a community moment like it since. Favorite spot on campus by far is the pond and the secret wooded pathway to the field behind the LLC. While I remember ALL the faculty members that helped form my education, my most memorable Park faculty member is Mr. Wise. He had a profound impact on the way I view the world and how I navigate it. I had the opportunity to travel to Tokyo, Japan on Immersion with Mr. Wise my senior year and took two years of his social studies class. He helped widen my world view. What is the most important skill or lesson you learned while at Park? I learned to vigorously defend my beliefs and stand up for what is right. While all in the Park community may not agree, my skills were nurtured to make an educated and wellmaintenanced stance. Talk about your path after graduating high school: college, work, life, etc. As a result of Park’s diverse student body, for the first time I was in a space with kids of different backgrounds both foreign and domestic. As a second generation Cuban immigrant to the US, I had some exposure to different ideals to the singular American framework; however, at the crucial developmental time of a high school student, I was able to navigate many different perspectives at a very young age. After graduating Park School, my experience widening my world view through education continued. I majored in International Relations and even studied abroad continuing my “immersion”-esque educational experience. Advocating for what I feel is right became intertwined into the fabric of my personal and professional life. I continued participation in clubs and extracurriculars that included arts, performance, public speaking and civic action. What led you to your current career choice? Currently, I work as Policy Advancement and Media Manager for Partnership for the Public Good, a community-based think tank in Buffalo, NY. I think the culmination of my identity, experiences at Park and higher education led to my passion of advocating for underrepresented peoples. As a chronically online millennial, I think media and its power for advocacy and social change has always been apparent to me. I am happy to now host a weekly radio show and podcast, The Public Good, that educates the community of salient social issues that affect us all. Without the free environment of Park for me to utilize skills that in other settings were seen as negative distractions, I do not believe I would have obtained my “out of the box” strategy for advocacy and community engagement. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? I hope to continue utilizing media and creativity in all forms to change society for the better. I hope to inspire other youth just like me to raise their voice and not shut up. I hope to give the opportunities that were afforded to me and both repay and pay forward my good fortune. I see myself not only doing this on a national but international level. 25
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