2008 POINT SCHOLARS

James Alexander

Harvard College

Romance Languages and Literatures

James was born in Houston, Texas, and was raised in a very conservative suburb. When he came out as a freshman in high school, he faced ridicule from his teachers and peers and his high school administration barred him from establishing a Gay Straight Alliance (GSA). As a junior, James switched to a residential high school for gifted students and worked to encourage tolerance and respect for LGBT students through his position of co-president of the school’s GSA.

James now attends Harvard College and is majoring in Romance Languages and Literatures with a track in Hispanic Literature and a minor in Sociology and university recognized Foreign Language Citations in Portuguese and Japanese. In addition to his academic career, James remains active in the LGBT community serving on the executive board of the Harvard Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Transgender, and Supporters Alliance, and as a Public Affairs & Education Intern at Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders in Boston.

James interned in marketing for exercise goods in Okayama, Japan, during the summer following his freshman year. He will intern with a major fashion retailer in Sao Paulo, Brazil, this summer and study Spanish literature in Barcelona in the fall. After graduation, James tentatively plans to work in business in Latin America and to eventually pursue a Master of Business Administration.