Senior Warner “Jimmy” James still remembers move-in day his first year on campus. It’s a story he often shares with prospective students and their parents when he guides them on University admissions tours.

“It was about 95 degrees outside, and my parents were helping move me into my dorm. We had to climb three flights of stairs in Marsh Hall because there is no elevator,” James said. “I didn't think we were going to make it.”

He was surprised when two upperclassmen in the parking lot offered to help him carry his things to his room. “That was my first day on campus, and that sort of set the tone. This is going to be a good place for me,” he said.

Since arriving on campus three years ago, James, who hails from Hagerstown, Maryland, hit the proverbial ground running and hasn’t stopped yet.

A journalism and leadership studies major, he covers athletic events as sports editor for The Collegian student newspaper. He’s also president of the Richmond Octaves men’s a cappella group, a supervisor in the Office of Annual Giving, and even started a podcast where he interviews Spider alumni, including ex-NFL football player and Richmond Athletics Hall of Fame recipient Lawrence Sidbury Jr.

Coming from a boarding school background emphasizing academics, extra-curriculars, and sports, he learned how to manage his time even before coming to UR.

His parents described him as a Renaissance man with many interests. Consequently, James found it challenging to choose a major. He committed to journalism after taking two courses because they fit his schedule.

“It’s a small department, but I love that.” At some larger journalism schools, he said, students might not have the chance to write for the student paper until their junior or senior year. “Here at Richmond, I was able to have a byline my first year on campus.”

James said he also appreciates the tight-knit nature of the department and the journalism faculty who go out of their way to support UR students. “Tom Mullen is not my registered advisor, but he’ll write a recommendation letter for me at the drop of a hat, send me job listings, and do anything else he can do to support me,” James said.

James enjoys using the department’s newly renovated studio to create his podcast, A Room Full of Spiders, a personal project that helped him develop the skillset necessary to be a multimedia reporter. After graduation, he hopes to become a sports journalist.

“I've always loved sports, ever since I was little watching NBA Finals games and March Madness with my dad,” he said.

When not in class, courtside, or in the press box at Robins Stadium, James can often be found at the Admissions office, where he is an intern and has led campus tours since his first year, twice serving as a training captain. It’s his way of giving back to a university that has always been there for him.

He punctuates his tours with humor, personal stories, and helpful information about UR.

“A family might walk away and remember what the tour guide said, and that might be the reason they choose a school,” he said.

Admission student intern manager, Lauren Bennett, said, "To know Jimmy, is to love Jimmy. He brightens up the admission office anytime he walks in the Admission Suite doors. Whether it’s his contagious smile or laughter, or a new tune he is singing, he has a presence that’s unmatched."

Ironically, James could not go on a formal tour because of the pandemic. He decided to attend based on his instincts.

“It was sort of a judgment call, but I ended up getting accepted,” he said. “And I tell all the families on the campus tours that it's truly been the best decision I've ever made.”