James Thomas

Director of Inclusive Excellence and Community

James Thomas (he/they), originally from Birmingham, Alabama, earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from University of Alabama at Birmingham and a Master of Science in Higher Education and Student Affairs from Indiana University Bloomington. Prior to joining Loyola University Chicago, James held roles in leadership development, housing, and campus engagement at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Illinois Institute of Technology, and DePaul University. 

James currently serves as Director of Inclusive Excellence and Community for the Center for Student Inclusion and Belonging (CSIB), where they have spent nearly a decade advancing student belonging, leadership, and equity-centered initiatives. Their work has focused on supporting the experiences of students of color, LGBTQ+ students, migrant and undocumented students, first-generation students, and students navigating financial barriers through mentorship, leadership development, community building, and institutional change efforts. James currently leads migrant student support through Monarch Initiatives and partners across campus on inclusive excellence and OIDEI efforts. 

Grounded in cura personalis and a deep belief in collective liberation, James approaches higher education as a space to affirm identity, cultivate belonging, and empower communities historically pushed to the margins. Outside of Loyola, James serves as Operations Manager for Lighthouse Church of Chicago and leads the Chicago chapter of Black Boys Brunch, continuing their commitment to creating spaces where community, care, voice, and advocacy intersect. 

What brought you to this work and why do you do this work? 

I came to this work because I know what it means to navigate spaces where you are trying to find your footing, your people, and your voice. Across my journey in higher education, faith, and community work, I have seen how transformative it can be when someone feels seen, affirmed, challenged, and believed in. I do this work because I deeply believe students deserve spaces where they can show up fully, wrestle with who they are becoming, and know they do not have to navigate hard things alone. I am especially passionate about supporting students and communities who have historically been pushed to the margins and helping them move from surviving systems to shaping them. 

What’s something you want students to feel when they enter your space? 

I want students to feel like they can exhale. Like, truly unclench-your-jaw, drop-your-shoulders, “okay… I think I can breathe here” energy. I want them to feel seen, welcomed, and reminded that they do not have to perform perfection to belong. Whether they are coming in excited, overwhelmed, grieving, thriving, confused, messy, figuring life out, or somewhere in between, I want them to know they are entering a space rooted in care, honesty, accountability, laughter, and community. 

I also hope students feel comfortable enough to be fully themselves. My spaces tend to hold a little bit of everything: serious conversations, joy, hard truths, celebration, random side tangents, probably some laughter, and occasionally me asking if we’ve had water, food, or enough sleep before making major life decisions. I want students to leave feeling affirmed, challenged, supported, and knowing someone genuinely believes in them, even on the days they are struggling to believe in themselves. 

Outside of work, what’s something that brings you joy, grounding, or restoration? 

Community, laughter, and good food restore me. Some of my favorite moments are spending time with chosen family and friends, being in spaces filled with joy, storytelling, and people who let you show up as your full self. Faith, service, and community through church are also deeply grounding for me and remind me to stay rooted in something bigger than myself. 

And in the spirit of full honesty? Sometimes restoration also looks like turning my brain off and enjoying some delightfully “less savory” reality TV. Give me a little mess, dramatic confessionals, questionable decision-making, and somebody saying something wildly unnecessary, and suddenly I am healed for at least 45 minutes. I firmly believe joy and restoration can look like both deep reflection and laughing at beautifully chaotic television after a long week. Music, rest, and moments that let me feel a full range of emotions also help bring me back to center.