Jim Presley

50th Anniversary Notable Alumni Feature Jim Presley: Married and a father of three children, Jim enrolled in Tulsa Community College at the age of 35. He would become an Honors Scholar, graduate with two associate degrees in Physics and Chemistry, and earn the prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. This scholarship is the largest and most prestigious community college transfer scholarship in the United States, worth up to $120,000 for three years to earn a bachelor’s degree.

“At TCC, the classroom sizes and passion for education apparent in the faculty provided a personalized experience,” he said. “I learned to love education and grow a thirst for more of it.”

After graduating from TCC in 2014, he transferred into the prestigious Physics department at the University of Colorado – Boulder, but ultimately determined that a career in Physics was not the right path for him. Instead, he earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics, minored in Business, and completed his real estate certification. While attending the university, he served as President of the Real Estate Club. An Urban Land Institute scholarship connected him to his current job in Denver, where he works as a research analyst for a commercial appraiser and is studying for the commercial appraisal certification.

While he is learning the basics of real estate values, transactions and development now, he aspires to small-scale industrial and residential development using green energy and LEED-certified construction. “I am working toward creative new ways to provide housing for increasing numbers in the U.S., at an affordable rate and the lowest carbon footprint, utilizing micro-apartment architecture and common area spaces to build community around it,” he said.

He is a board member and volunteer media producer for the Colorado Karting Tour, a nonprofit sports organization for youth.