James Bowker

Tufts University, BA in Arabic & Middle Eastern Studies, cum laude

James is a generally inquisitive guy, whose curiosity has led him to live in Amman, Jordan where he learns new things every day. Originally interested in world religions, particularly Islam, in high school, he focused on Arabic language and literature as an undergrad. Realizing there was no better way to learn the language than to live where it was spoken, he studied abroad and stayed with a host family in Amman in spring 2012. Liking it so much, he extended his stay to study Arabic intensively for the summer, experiencing his first Ramadan in the process.

Almost immediately after graduating in 2013, he returned to Jordan to work in study abroad. He currently works as a reporter/translator for a non-profit journalism center publishing about events in Syria. In his vacation time, James has been lucky enough to visit Palestine, Egypt, Lebanon, Turkey, and of course all the nooks, crannies, mountains, valleys, and archaeological sites in Jordan.

Learning to appreciate nature in Jordan, James is now an avid rock-climber and spends a lot of time at the climbing gym or on a rock face. He is also a former boxer, a big reader, and a hip-hop fan. He also spends a lot of time on learning about about critical theory, public transportation, etymology, and history.