From Environmental Advocacy to Business Analytics

Each month we recognize a graduate student at our Friends of Finance Luncheon.

Our Student Spotlight this month is James Nyamahono. James Nyamahono was born and raised in Zimbabwe, a Southern African country famous for its majestic Victoria Falls and Lake Kariba, the world’s largest artificial lake. James, who grew up in a low-income household that relied primarily on subsistence living, was certain that getting a decent education was one of the?ways to change his situation. In 2009, James moved to South Africa, where he successfully enrolled in and obtained a Bachelor of Business Studies degree.

James wasted no time in getting involved in sustainable development since he is passionate about environmental management and community development. Between 2014 and 2022, he has been an Education, Training, and Development Practitioner with an emphasis on environmental conservation and behavioral health education. During this time, James earned an MSc and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Environment and Society research. This provided him with the opportunity to work as a Community Development Practitioner in a large project funded by the Water Research Commission, South Africa.? He also worked as a university lecturer in Environmental Sociology since 2018, and as a Psycho-Social Assistant Consultant with the Eastern Cape Department of Education, South Africa, until December 2022, when he relocated to the United States.

James is currently pursuing his MSBA with the Collins College of Business and is expected to graduate in Dec 2024. He aspires to gain knowledge in big data analytics to better comprehend the broad PESTEL environment. His interests are in environmental justice, globalization of markets, entrepreneurship, and healthcare development. He is also a full-time Mental Health Technician at Parkside Psychiatric Hospital and Clinic. Outside work, James is a member of the newly formed JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) Student Association.