photograph of jhakeem haltom

Dean of Students

I was born in Ithaca, NY and attended public school at Ithaca High School. Experiencing institutional racism and poor academic performance, I went to a boarding school at a historically black high school called Piney Woods Country Life School. The school was located outside of Jackson, Mississippi and was a sustainable self-reliant agricultural community. After high school, I attended Wesleyan University where I received my bachelor’s degree. Shortly after graduating and traveling around the world as a musician and pursuing my own personal anthropological research, I attended Roberts Wesleyan College where I received my Masters in Social Work. Working at New Roots is a culmination of my life experience and a fulfilling job.

Email: jhaltom@newrootsschool.org