James R.
5.0
From Community College to Berkeley | Non-traditional University Coach
Studied at University of California, Berkeley
Works at Adobe
Available today at 3:00 PM UTC
Usually responds within 4 hours
Questions? Start chatting with this coach before you get started.
James’s College Qualifications
James has helped clients get into these schools:
As a first-generation, low-income community college transfer who successfully navigated the path to UC Berkeley, I understand the challenges and opportunities of pursuing higher education from a unique perspective. My journey is proof that with the right guidance, perseverance, and strategy, achieving admission to prestigious universities is possible, regardless of background. At Berkeley, I’ve excelled academically graduating Summa Cum Laude while actively engaging in leadership roles, such as Debate Captain, Vice President of an exclusive tech consulting club, and Student Government Director, where I’ve mentored peers, coordinated scholarship funds, and fostered inclusivity. My experience extends beyond academics to professional roles in top organizations like Adobe and Intel, where I’ve honed goal-setting, problem-solving, and strategic planning skills. I specialize in helping students craft compelling personal statements, navigate the application process, and unlock their potential to stand out in competitive applicant pools. Whether you’re transferring, applying to your dream school, or seeking advice on how to balance academics with leadership opportunities, I’m here to help you succeed!
James can help with:
Financial Aid & Scholarships
Editing
Recommendations
Interviews
Waitlist Strategy
School Selection
Secondary Review
Application Strategy
Essays
Resume
About James
Hey! Nice to meet you. I’m a proud first-generation, low-income community college transfer who charted an unconventional path to big tech. I began my academic journey at Pasadena City College, where I graduated at the top of my class before transferring to UC Berkeley. At Berkeley, I graduated Phi Beta Kappa while balancing multiple leadership roles and internships. Now, I work in enterprise sales at Adobe, where I help some of our largest customers solve key business issues. I was fortunate to land multiple internships in big tech due to a combination of hard work, networking, and a bit of luck. As someone with a non-traditional background, entering the tech industry felt like an uphill climb. But I wasn’t alone—I had friends who encouraged me, mentors who guided me, and professors who believed in my potential. Now, I’m passionate about paying it forward—helping others find their own paths to success in higher education and beyond. Outside of work, I love weightlifting, building Legos, and fashion! I also dedicate much of my time to giving back as a college mentor, tutor, and Little League baseball coach. Thanks for stopping by—I look forward to connecting with you!
Why do I coach?
I coach because I know firsthand how challenging it can be to navigate college and the internship search process, especially as a first-generation, low-income, or community college transfer student. Gaining admission into a prestigious school or landing your dream job as a non-traditional candidate often feels overwhelming, but I’m here to help demystify the process. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the incredible mentors who guided and encouraged me along the way, and now it’s my turn to pay it forward. My goal is to provide the same level of support and guidance to students from similar backgrounds, helping them build confidence, craft compelling applications, and land internships or full-time roles at top companies. I also strive to keep my coaching as affordable as possible to make it accessible to a wide variety of students because everyone deserves a chance to succeed, regardless of where they come from.
Work Experience
Business Development Representative
Adobe
August 2024 - Present
- At Adobe, I support some of our largest and most strategic customers in leveraging Adobe’s cutting-edge technologies to continue transforming the digital landscape. - Q4 FY24: 109% to Quota
Consulting Project Manager
Intel
August 2023 - December 2023
- Led a 5-member consultant team to improve Intel's Global AI Impact Festival by crafting a comprehensive marketing and engagement channel strategy - Established partnerships with four major partner organizations, streamlining content dissemination and amplifying the festival’s reach, potentially adding an additional 6,800 attendees - Pioneered a multi-channel marketing approach, leading to a potential 11% increase in festival registrations, with a particular emphasis on attracting underrepresented groups in tech
Enterprise Business Development Intern
Adobe
May 2023 - August 2023
- Crafted personalized outreach for 22 enterprise accounts, resulting in 5 meetings booked with c-suite executives and $150,000 of potential revenue generated - Sent 491 hyper-personalized emails and LinkedIn InMail messages, yielding a 32% open rate and an 11% response rate - Co-led 2 discovery calls with director-level clients, uncovering customer pain points through qualifying questions and showcasing Adobe product use cases - Developed an AI Toolkit for BDRs, detailing AI tools for enhanced sales efficiency; utilized by 40+ BDRs
Product Management Intern
The Verse
May 2023 - August 2023
- Developed a comprehensive product roadmap for an innovative educational technology platform, integrating data-driven insights, competitive analysis, and user story mapping - Employed Figma and InVision to develop wireframes and user journey maps refining the product vision based on user feedback - Analyzed 8 competing educational platforms, providing critical insights that informed the prioritization of 5 features
Sales Operations Intern
Checkr
February 2023 - May 2023
- Identified key funnel improvements using scorecard evaluation, supporting a 1.3% boost in Checkr's acquisition conversion rates against industry competitors - Conducted market research and customer surveys to enhance small business client satisfaction by refining key purchasing criteria and value proposition - Optimized small business packages through industry-specific research to better align with unique client needs
UX Design Intern
August 2022 - December 2022
- Utilized Figma to prototype 3 high-fidelity, social learning features, ideated from user research and interviews for the LinkedIn Learning platform - Conducted 60 user interviews to asses feature accessibility and functionality among users from various demographics - Analyzed user feedback and data analytics to iterate and improve upon the social learning features, resulting in a 15% increase in user engagement - Conducted extensive market research to identify user needs, competitor pain points, and market trends, to generate Go-to-market recommendations
James was also given offers to work at
LinkedIn
Palo Alto Networks
Intel
Tanium
Gartner
Okta
Education
University of California, Berkeley
Certificate in Entrepreneurship & Technology, Startup Track, Engineering
2023 - 2024
The SCET Certificate in Entrepreneurship & Technology offers UC Berkeley undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to build networks, Start and grow their own startups, and strengthen leadership, collaboration, and communication skills. The Certificate equips students with the mindsets and skills to become leaders in any industry.
University of California, Berkeley
Bachelor of Arts - BA, Political Science and Philosophy , Political Science & Philosophy
2021 - 2024
Grade: 3.95 Activities and societies: DiversaTech Consulting (External Vice President, Project Manager, Account Manager), ASUC Student Government (Community Engagement Executive for the Office of the President), NavCal (Mentor and Intern), Institute for Research on Labor and Employment (Undergraduate Researcher), Latino Business Association (Intern), Labor Center Student Advisory Committee, Intermural Baseball Awards and Distinctions: - Phi Beta Kappa (Top 10% of Graduating Class) - Pi Sigma Alpha (Political Science Honor Society) Graduated with Highest Distinction
Pasadena City College
Bachelor of Arts, Political Science
2019 - 2021
- Valedictorian - Summa Cum Laude - 2020 CCCFA Speach and Debate National Championship Team - Pasadena College Speech and Debate Team Captain
James was also personally admitted to
University of California, Los Angeles
Pomona College
Amherst College
New York University
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
University of California, San Diego
University of Southern California
13 Reviews
Overall Rating
5.0
James has helped clients get into these schools:
James has helped clients get into these companies: