Nea James, ’24, selected for Transform Mid-Atlantic Civic Fellowship

Nea James, ’24, was selected to serve as the 2023-2024 Transform Mid-Atlantic Civic Fellow representing Loyola University Maryland. Through the Transform Mid-Atlantic Civic Fellowship program, students develop their leadership skills and understanding of civic and community engagement.

"Nea is an exemplary model of civic leadership on our campus and in our Baltimore community,” said Loyola President Terrence M. Sawyer, J.D., in a letter nominating James for the award. “It is rare to find students who are as motivated in connecting their academic interests with ongoing advocacy initiatives as Nea.”

During the spring 2023 semester, James has chosen to fulfill her credited, unpaid internship by working for Baltimore Witness. She will observe court events, such as hearings and trials, that involve murders and nonfatal shootings.

“Focusing on the administration of justice and how bias may creep into it—rewarding some and disenfranchising others—is consistent with my understanding of Loyola's cura personalis,” James said. “I look forward to learning from local and global leaders so I can bring those leadership skills back to my community.”

In the fall 2022 semester, James participated in an unpaid and uncredited internship with the Baltimore County Police Department to learn about the nature of patrolling, the court liaison process, and crime lab procedures.

James, who is from Hagerstown, Maryland, is completing a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and is enrolled in enrolled in the Master of Science in Forensic Pattern Analysis program at Loyola.

The Transform Mid-Atlantic Civic Fellowship program offers high-impact opportunities to student leaders across Maryland, Washington D.C., and Delaware. Students learn how to serve as leaders in their communities and collectively create solutions to our region’s most urgent problems.