James K.

Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army
Bachelor of Arts Financial Economics, Columbia University

Despite having an incredible support system at home, James knew that in order to mature as a person and tackle life on his own joining the military was the right path for him. Through enlisting in the U.S. Army, James would have the opportunity to become more independent and believed that the military was his best resource to achieve the independence he desired. Throughout the course of over 9 years in the service, James completed 5 combat deployments to Afghanistan and served with the 1/75^th Ranger Regiment.

During his fourth deployment in 2010, James was hit by a sniper in the upper extremity while on a mission. The bullet transected his median nerve and brachial artery, leaving his arm with severe nerve and vascular damage. Following a medical evacuation, he received a Purple Heart for his injuries and began what would be months of rehabilitation to meet the physical requirements to continue his service which led to the completion of an additional 6 years of service and a fifth deployment in 2013 to 2014.In 2017 James made the decision to medically retire, he applied and was accepted to Columbia University to begin his educational journey and was referred to Sentinels of Freedom by fellow Sentinel and Ranger, Jeramiah Wegner.

James was accepted for the Spring 2018 cohort and received housing support for two and half years while he pursued his bachelor’s degree. Throughout the next three years,he received mentoring and networking support as well as guidance from a case manager. As James prepared for graduation with his Bachelor of Arts in Financial Economics, he was connected to 7 Eagle Group to aid in the job search and began interviewing for prospective opportunities. James accepted a position with JPMorgan Chase & Co. as an account manager with their Prime Services department helping hedge funds, asset managers, and institutional investors meet the demands of a rapidly evolving market.