VCU news

By Amelia Heymann

When James Orr steps across the commencement stage this month, having earned his master’s degree in social work, the Virginia Commonwealth University graduate will recall another memorable walk he made – when he left jail.

Orr’s issues with addiction started at age 13 and continued into his 20s, as he struggled to express his emotions and sought an escape. That led to committing crimes and, eventually, a nine-month sentence. It was a wake-up call about his drug use.

“You have all your freedom and everything one day, and then you’re just like in [jail] and you have no idea when you’re going to get out,” Orr said.

Behind bars, he dedicated himself to change. Orr took out books from the jail library and began studying psychology, and he had his family send him college textbooks so he could study the subject. He would think about where he wanted to be in the future.

“I changed everything at that point,” Orr said. “I was reframing and then modeling the person I wanted to become,” including through healthier eating and exercise.

The drive to help himself spurred his interest in helping others, which ultimately led to his interest in social work and VCU.

After jail, Orr stayed in a sober living facility, secured a health care job in Lynchburg and started his undergraduate studies at Liberty University. He kept his days full of activities to strengthen his healthy routines.

“It was a lot of just going to bed at a good time, eating well, taking classes and putting my all into the work that I was doing,” he said.

With an undergraduate degree in psychology, Orr saw social work as a natural extension of how he might serve others. He earned certification as a substance use counselor to help people who were walking a path he had known well.

Jennifer Kilel, DNP, president and founder of the Safina Initiative, met Orr at a Federally Qualified Health Center where Orr was a substance use care coordinator. The diverse populations they served often contended with low incomes, lack of insurance and support systems, and limited access to health care.

“James was very empathetic, patient-centered, compassionate, and portrayed the highest integrity and advocacy for the patients,” Kilel said.

Framed by his education as well as his life and work experiences, Orr said, “I started changing [and] refining the goal to helping as many people as possible, not just people that struggle with addiction.”

Orr chose VCU’s School of Social Work for his master’s program to be exposed to a different campus and different viewpoints about the material he was learning. Among the benefits, he said, was developing more fluency in the terminology of clinical settings.

“I really enjoy being able to express that more fluidly – that was one of the biggest takeaways – and then finding ways to help people,” he said.

Orr continues to be associated with Kilel and her Safina Initiative, a nonprofit that provides education and health care to rural populations in the Rift Valley, Kenya. In addition to being a Safina board member, Orr is involved with Kigen Consulting, which supports immigrants from African nations who are navigating the complexities of educational and career opportunities in the U.S. health care system.

Kilel said Orr wears many hats with both organizations and has been instrumental in supporting implementation of community-focused initiatives in Kenya through his skills in technology and innovation, grant writing and fundraising.

“James has excelled in his role by demonstrating strong organizational skills, effective problem-solving abilities and a commitment to global health,” Kilel said. “His ability to identify and address global health challenges remains vital to the smooth running of projects in the United States as well as Kenya.”

While he originally came to VCU wanting to change the world, Orr said he has learned over the course of his studies to check his ego and pride.

After graduation, Orr will continue to serve at the Community Access Network, a FQHC look-alike in Lynchburg. And with his ongoing commitment to helping others, he said he will remain dedicated to “trying to serve the community – and see as many people as I can.”