Amanda James ’08, ’12
Assistant director of alumni engagement
Posted: August 28, 2025
If you’ve spent time at the University of Louisville over the past 20 years as a student, employee or fan, you’ve likely encountered Amanda James. Maybe you’ve only seen her on the big screen at a game or heard her doing the C-A-R-D-S cheer, but hers is a powerful presence in the Cardinal community that gives our special something a little … something special.
James has spent her time at UofL making an impact on students and young alumni while spreading the message of giving back. She is known for being many things – an advisor, a mentor, an advocate. But being an introvert is not one of her hallmarks.
“Being a student here is where I started to feel more comfortable, inside and outside the classroom. I think back to how much I’ve grown in this setting and credit UofL for a lot of that” James said. “Being a Cardinal helped amplify my voice.”
Getting loud for UofL came naturally. “That was a big part of my childhood, always cheering for the Cards,” James said. Her father, Doug James, was a football color commentator for local am radio station 840 WHAS in those days, which encouraged his three young daughters to listen to every game while growing up.
Even with that homegrown love for the Cardinals, James, who today is part of the fabric of UofL, didn’t set foot on campus until a Cardinal Preview Day during her senior year of high school. She recalled being shy at that time of her life and felt uncomfortable talking to the strangers who were tabling at the event. “A handful of years later, I was working the event! There were students who I could tell where overwhelmed, so I felt like I tried to be the person I needed back then,” she said. “That was cool.”
Since that first time stepping foot on campus, James has made UofL her home. In local parlance, you might even refer to her as a UofL “trifecta.” She earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology from the College of Arts and Sciences in 2008, pursued and attained employment at the university’s admissions office afterwards, then received her master’s degree in counseling and personnel services with a concentration in college student personnel from the College of Education and Human Development in 2012. Since 2016, she’s worked at Louisville Alumni, currently serving as the assistant director of alumni engagement.
In her role, James keeps everyone from young alumni to legacy members engaged in meaningful ways like bringing them back to campus to sit on panels or partnering with student groups and campus offices. “Seeing that there are so many alumni willing to share their time and wisdom with students is one of my favorite things I see in my job,” she said.
Another population James works closely with are current students – specifically in student philanthropy.
Annual fundraising events like Raise Some L during Homecoming Week and the raiseRED Dance Marathon every winter give students fun and lively opportunities to get involved and engaged in the act of philanthropy, said James. “A lot of it is educating students about the value in giving back, particularly to the university. I want them to know that UofL is a philanthropic entity and that we rely on donor and volunteer support. For me, a lot of my student philanthropy work is about that education.”
James said collaborating directly with students in these endeavors, and as an advisor to SOAR (Student Organization for Alumni Relations), is a great way to build a bridge from engaged student to engaged alum and create lasting relationships that keep her connected to the Cardinals she serves on both sides of the coin. And through these connections, she sees the impact they continue to make long after they walk across the commencement stage.
“During Raise Some L, I scroll through the donor list and see so many people who were my students or people I knew when they were students. Now, they’ve graduated and are giving back,” she said. “It’s them showing they care about UofL.”
After being a student (twice), a colleague and more, what would James say is the best things she’s learned during her time so far at UofL that she would share with others? It’s no surprise that her answer looks toward the person who sparked her love for the university in the first place, her father.
“My dad told me specifically, when going to college, make sure you go to class,” she said. “I share that because what I encourage for students, but also in all facets of my own life, at UofL and outside of it, is to show up.”
Whether school, work, an event, volunteer opportunity or anything else she’s interested in, James said she’s had so many amazing experiences and made great connections with others through that philosophy. And being on a college campus is an extra bonus because of everything that is always going on around it to create a vibrant culture of community.
“UofL has taught me the value time and time again of how showing up can make a difference,” she said.
As for why James has stuck with UofL all this time, she said she likes having the level of expertise and institutional knowledge that span of years allows. Plus, since there are always fresh new students and volunteers walking through her door, the job never feels stale. Ultimately, it’s always been about the people.
“I love cheering for Cardinals. There are a lot of people cheering for the Cards at sporting events, but I get the privilege of cheering for everyone behind the scenes, too,” James said. “I would happily be their mascot.”