Jordan's Journey: An Interview and Conversation with Jordan Thomas

Pod and Market

Where do I begin with Jordan? I suppose I can talk about how we first met. I was assigned by the Harvard Club to interview a student from University High School in Newark, one they were quite interested in. The person I met astounded me. He was easily admitted into Harvard. However, and unfortunately, he decided to attend Princeton instead. Still, we’ve kept in touch, and I remain fascinated by every thing he does. Rather than explain who he is in this article, I ask that you listen to the episode to get the full sense of Jordan.

Guest:

Jordan Thomas—Jordan is a 2018 graduate of Princeton University, where a successful academic career culminated in such distinctions as Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa, the Myron T. Herrick Thesis Prize, and a 2018 Spirit of Princeton Award. At Princeton, he concentrated in Public and International Affairs; he received dual certificates in Portuguese Language and Culture and in African American Studies; and he focused his academic coursework on poverty, inequality, and social mobility. Jordan is particularly interested in the role that law, public policy, and high-quality education play in expanding access and opportunity for disadvantaged populations. In addition, he has a growing interest in impact investment, urban economic development, and the ways in which the power of capital can be harnessed for social good. As one of 32 American students selected from a pool of over 2,500 applicants to receive a 2018 Rhodes Scholarship -- the first Rhodes Scholar in the history of the Newark Public Schools system -- Jordan recently completed a year of postgraduate study at the University of Oxford. He spent this year pursuing a Master's degree in Evidence-Based Social Intervention and Policy Evaluation. Jordan will spend the next two years gaining professional experience before enrolling at both Yale Law School and Harvard Business School for a unique JD/MBA dual degree between the two institutions. Ultimately, he intends to engage in work that most directly promotes equal opportunity, social mobility, and justice for all.

Background & Articles:

Some articles featuring Jordan: here; here; here

A website for help with eating disorders: here

Quote:”There are not enough roses in the world for me to lay at the feet of this impossible group, but I hope this effort counts. I hope Phife can see all of us trying, from wherever he may be. I hope Q-Tip knows that he’s done something great. I hope when the time comes for the generation after mine to talk about what’s real , they’ll pull a Tribe CD out of their pockets, worn down from a decade’s use and perhaps an older sibling. I hope they’ll put it in a CD player and let a room be carried away.” —Hanif Abdurraqib, Go Ahead in the Rain: Notes to a Tribe Called Quest