Uploaded February 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Jamal Holtz ’20 didn’t know a soul when he arrived at the University of Rochester in 2016. By the time he graduated, he was arguably the most recognized face among the student body.
Holtz grew up in an impoverished neighborhood in the District of Columbia, one of five children to a single mother. He earned a full tuition merit scholarship to Rochester as a Posse Scholar—the first in his family to attend college—and served as Students’ Association president his senior year, a key player at the University during the COVID-19 global pandemic.
Holtz entered Rochester planning to major in political science, but his keen interest in civil issues such as affordable housing and economic disparity led him to create his own major: social justice and policymaking. That decision was made possible, in part, because of Rochester’s signature flexible curriculum.
These days, Holtz is chief of staff at LINK Strategic Partners, a social impact consulting firm in Washington, DC, where he helps lead the firm’s executive functions, business development, strategy, and performance development portfolio.
Learn more about Jamal's story: https://www.rochester.edu/newscenter/my-rochester-story-jamal-holtz-find-yourself-on-campus-642512/
#MyRochesterStory
Film footage from "51st State" courtesy of Hannah Rosenzweig / Intention Media
51statefilm.com
Subscribe to the University of Rochester on YouTube: youtube.com/user/UniversityRochester?sub_confirmation=1
Jamal Holtz ’20 didn’t know a soul when he arrived at the University of Rochester in 2016. By the time he graduated, he was arguably the most recognized face among the student body.
Holtz grew up in an impoverished neighborhood in the District of Columbia, one of five children to a single mother. He earned a full tuition merit scholarship to Rochester as a Posse Scholar—the first in his family to attend college—and served as Students’ Association president his senior year, a key player at the University during the COVID-19 global pandemic.
Holtz entered Rochester planning to major in political science, but his keen interest in civil issues such as affordable housing and economic disparity led him to create his own major: social justice and policymaking. That decision was made possible, in part, because of Rochester’s signature flexible curriculum.
These days, Holtz is chief of staff at LINK Strategic Partners, a social impact consulting firm in Washington, DC, where he helps lead the firm’s executive functions, business development, strategy, and performance development portfolio.
Learn more about Jamal's story: https://www.rochester.edu/newscenter/my-rochester-story-jamal-holtz-find-yourself-on-campus-642512/
#MyRochesterStory
Film footage from "51st State" courtesy of Hannah Rosenzweig / Intention Media
51statefilm.com
Subscribe to the University of Rochester on YouTube: youtube.com/user/UniversityRochester?sub_confirmation=1
