Robert James Receives Distinguished Alumni Award

On a slightly sunny but extremely humid Tuesday morning in late January, Robert Earl James II was presented with The Savannah Country Day Distinguished Alumni Award. A lovely dinner filled with laughter and cheer as members of Country Day’s class of 1988 reminisced on their primary school experiences and family stories welcomed Mr. James and his daughter to Savannah for … Continue reading "Robert James Receives Distinguished Alumni Award" The post Robert James Receives Distinguished Alumni Award first appeared on The Savannah Tribune.

Robert James Receives Distinguished Alumni Award

 
 

On a slightly sunny but extremely humid Tuesday morning in late January, Robert Earl James II was presented with The Savannah Country Day Distinguished Alumni Award. A lovely dinner filled with laughter and cheer as members of Country Day’s class of 1988 reminisced on their primary school experiences and family stories welcomed Mr. James and his daughter to Savannah for the ceremony the following day. It was an early morning start for the award recipient with a 5:45 am wakeup call; however, excitement brewed in the Alida lobby as he prepared his acceptance speech.

Once they arrived at the school, Mr. James and his daughter were met with a smiling face and a few quick jokes thanks to Amy Pinckney, the Director of Alumni Affairs for Savannah Country Day. It was a packed day, and Mr. James jumped right in, immersing himself in the Country Day community and reminiscing on his high-school days. A quick tour of the campus was interrupted by the cheers and embraces of a former classmate, Sarah Greenberg Kovensky, who now works as a Geography teacher in Country Day’s middle school. Mr. James con- tinued his “return to the past” with a visit to Mrs. Leigh Small Bauchamp’s 9th-grade geometry class, where he experienced the apathetic faces of some tired teenagers. However, there was joy between Mr. James and Mrs. Bauchamp as they shared stories of each other’s highschool adventures and even some yearbook photos.

Mrs. Pinckney kept the soon-to-be “distinguished” alumni on a tight schedule as he shuffled off to meet with a fellows program at the school to record a podcast. The curious group of five impressive Country Day students asked thought-provoking and poignant questions to Mr. James. The discussion, recorded by the school and Mr. James’s private film crew, covered everything from parental pressure and the college application process to the struggles of minority banks and “finding the building blocks to financial freedom,” said Mr. James. One student, Aidan, was particularly engaged, keeping the conversation going and asking follow-up questions that impressed Mr. James.

The great assembly followed, and the students packed the Jelks Auditorium— though they were mandated to be present. Numerous members of Savannah Country Day’s Class of 1988, other alums, old teachers, and even previous head of school Paul Pressly came out to show their support for Mr. James at his award ceremony. The current head of school Kef Wilson gave an enticing introduction, explaining the impressive career of Mr. James and the impactful work he has done at Carver State Bank, and finally, Mr. James was off. He captivated the audience with his emotional tales of school-age pranks, organizing a walk-out supporting Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and even his discomfort as the only Black male in his graduation class. Mr. James spoke of resilience and redemption, explaining how his life embodied Savannah Country Day’s mission statement “service through knowledge and character”. He told the young audience that life was about trying new things and reminded us that “we are all still works in progress.” Both comedic and sincere, Mr. James’s speech was a hit–even among the high schoolers.

A few photo ops and one AP Microeconomics class—which, by the way, asked some of the most fascinating questions of the day regarding Carver State Bank’s unlikely survival of the 2008 financial crisis—and Mr. James was off to his nephew, Elijah’s second-grade class–the most exciting visit of the day. After riding the high of his impressive Uncle, Elijah got to sign out of school early and join the family for lunch at the local restaurant “5 Spot.”

When reflecting on the honor later, Mr. James said, “it was a humbling experience to receive such a prestigious award from my alma mater.” He would like to extend a special thanks to the generous faculty and staff of Savannah Country Day for making him the man and “Distinguished Alum” he is today.

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