Jax Nalley ’25 has been elected to Duke University Board of Trustees. The Board is Duke’s governing body, responsible for its educational mission and fiscal policies.

Each year, Duke selects one representative from the undergraduate student body, as well as the graduate & professional schools to serve as a Young Trustee. These young leaders help guide the university’s long-term vision alongside other board members.  For Jax, the role represents a vital opportunity to strengthen connection between Duke and the broader Durham community. 

“Duke, Durham, and all the communities contained within them (like Robertson!) have been fundamental to my growth as a person and leader the last four years. Especially as someone who did not grow up around the type of infrastructure that a place like Duke offers, I’ve witnessed firsthand how transformative a Duke education can be.”

“At the same time through my various client services roles serving Durham community members, my involvement in a local faith community, and work with administrators on financial aid policy, I have seen that the promise that Duke offers is often inaccessible, seems abstract, or has direct effects on Durham residents that students often don’t witness. My interest in Young Trustee is paramount to my interest in bridging those gaps and aiming to contribute to a world wherein more students and Durham community members see themselves as beneficiaries of Duke’s mission.”

As an undergraduate Jax majored in Public Policy and Romance Studies. He served as Chief of Staff for Duke Student Government (DGS,) was a Chapel Scholar, and sat on the POLIS Student Committee. He also served on the Trinity College of Arts & Sciences Board of Visitors, was a student member of the Board of Trustees Undergraduate Education Committee, and founded the Karsh Student Advisory Board to provide student input on financial aid policy.

Jax’s leadership extended beyond campus, with a strong commitment to public service. Through the Community Empowerment Fund, he supported Durham residents facing homelessness. Nationally, he interned with the health and veterans team of President Biden’s Domestic Policy Council.

This fall, Jax will begin his first year at Harvard Law School, where he plans to become a civil rights attorney focused on economic justice, voting rights, and criminal justice reform in the South.