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Jamel Fleming ’25 spent his early years surrounded by tall buildings in his community. Since coming to ��ɫ��Ƶ, he’s been surrounded by community-building.
 

Hailing from Mount Vernon, N.Y., Fleming says the quietness scared him at first, but he soon grew to love the tranquility. And he grew as a person.

“Honestly, the tall buildings and the skyscrapers are all beautiful, but I'm a man of peace,” the communication major said. “��ɫ��Ƶ’s campus really just settled me and put me at ease with a lot of things.”

As his sophomore year began, he felt his life was at its peak academically and physically. Though he wasn't the fastest or strongest player on the football team, his teammates named him a captain due to his heart.

Then things abruptly took a turn for the worse.

An illness caused him to lose 40 pounds, landing him in the hospital. He debated leaving ��ɫ��Ƶ to go home for treatment. But he never had to make that tough decision thanks to the Hope Fund, which assists students and families in financial need. Claire Murphy, MD, a family doctor and the director of collegiate health services at Penn Medicine – ��ɫ��Ƶ Medical and Counseling Center, alerted him to the fund.

"Jamel was pretty sick at the time but thanks to the Hope Fund, he was able to get the continued care he needed close to campus,” Murphy said. “His story is one that sticks with you, and students like Jamel are the reason I love college health. He is a light on this campus, and I was privileged to play a significant role in keeping him here."

The Hope Fund allowed Fleming to receive transportation to and from Reading Hospital for his treatments. That generosity, he said, made him realize that although his family lived over 100 miles away, another kind of family lived with him on campus.

“They truly did welcome me with open arms,” he said. “More than anything, they recognized me as a person and gave me the love and care that I needed mentally.”

Fleming recovered quickly, gaining most of the weight back and continuing his athletic career that year. He has had no setbacks.

Initially, he wanted to keep his journey private. But he realized that sharing it could help others get help.

“I felt selfish to keep that story and keep everything bottled up in me,” he said. “You know, it's bigger than me.”

After he graduates in May, Fleming plans to stick around, working toward a Master of Organizational Leadership while serving as a graduate assistant. 

Fleming is already paying it forward through his work as a Communications Fellow at the O’Pake Institute for Economic Development and Entrepreneurship. During his time growing up in New York, he was often asked what he wanted to do. He didn’t have any specific career in mind, but he knew he wanted to help people.

“I just love to give back,” he said. “And through O’Pake, I’m able to obtain that, whether it's in client service, internal or external communication, I'm able to truly see the client smile. And that smile pays me money. I feel like that is bigger than money to me every day. And if I can go home with zero dollars in my pocket and 100 smiles, then I'm the richest man alive.”