Jim Larimore
ACT Center for Equity in Learning
San Diego, CA USA
"Don’t let anyone deny you the opportunity to learn. Your purpose in getting an education is to become the most formidable human being you can become."
Career Roadmap
Jim's work combines: Education, Business, and Helping People
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
Seek out mentors, friends, family, or anyone who will believe in you. Having a strong support structure is essential to success. Recognize that it is your education and take ownership of that. Take the initiative to learn.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration
Texas A & M University-Commerce
Bachelor's Degree
Sociology
Texas A & M University-Commerce
Graduate Degree
Education, General
Stanford University
Life & Career Milestones
I've taken a lot of twists and turns
1.
Born and raised in Texas.
2.
My siblings and I were the first people in my family to earn college degrees.
3.
Attended Texas A&M University—I actually quit college about six or seven times because I kept running out of money.
4.
Got a job as a resident assistant in a dorm on campus, which reduced my tuition and gave me a free place to live, allowing me to complete my degree in criminal justice and sociology.
5.
My original goal was to work in juvenile probation, but through a series of random turns, I found my way into working in education—received my master’s degree in education from Stanford.
6.
After graduating, my higher-education career began in the admissions office of Dartmouth College recruiting Native American high school students from the southwest of the U.S.
7.
For the last 30 years, I've been the dean of a number of institutions, including Dartmouth, Swarthmore College, and Amherst; also served as a deputy director at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
8.
I am now the chief officer of the ACT Center for Equity in Learning, where I direct their strategy to close gaps in opportunity, achievement, and equity for all students.
Defining Moments
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
Myself, along with my brother and two sisters, were the first in our family to go on to earn college degrees.
The challenges in my personal life affected my schooling. I was reasonably smart and tested well, I just didn't try very hard and was distracted. I had to make up for a lot of lost time once I got to college.
I quit college at least 6 or 7 times because I kept running out of money. I managed to get an on campus job which reduced my tuition and gave me free room and board so I could continue.
Growing up, my dad was an alcoholic and abusive. I had to throw him out of the house when I was a teenager which temporarily disrupted our family life emotionally and financially.
Growing up ethnically diverse and part Native American, in particular, caused me challenges. I was often in trouble for challenging teachers' lessons about things like Thanksgiving and Columbus Day.