Alumni Spotlight: Jai Moore

Jai photographed in her New Heights jersey in 2015 (left), and again shortly after graduating college in 2020 (right).

Jai Moore first joined New Heights in 2015 while in high school, seeking a team that would welcome that would welcome her into their community. It was here that she found something she hadn’t seen with other programs on her radar, as she quickly realized it was bigger than basketball.

“New Heights [first] stood out to me, and still does, because of their dedication to their student-athletes,” Jai told us in an interview with Anna Brilliant, New Heights’ Student Success Manager. “As a young player simply looking for a good organization to join, they looked at me as more than just a basketball player, but as a person. They also really cared about everything off of the court, and emphasized those things even more than basketball. I also love the fact that they still check on me now as if I am still a student-athlete in the program.”

After graduating high school in 2016, she continued her education and basketball career at Niagara University. She would go on to play from 2016 to 2020 while pursuing a degree in Criminal Justice. Despite having an impressive college basketball career, however, her senior season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, marking an abrupt end to her collegiate career. But even with the loss of basketball and a traditional senior year, she was determined to graduate, and did so in the spring of 2020.  

Feeling like her basketball career was unfinished, Jai demonstrated remarkable resilience and went on to play professionally in Portugal. Immediately after signing with Boa Viagem-Angra-Acore, Jai stated “[w]ith me signing overseas and getting to experience this opportunity, I know it will be everything I've ever wanted. I hope people can look at me and my journey and know that they can do it too because, at the end of the day, I'm just your average girl from Brooklyn, New York that picked up a basketball one day and was able to make her dreams come true." 

Following a successful season in Portugal, Jai returned home to Brooklyn. Determining what was next for her was not easy, especially during unprecedented times. She secured a job at Planet Fitness before finding a role as a coach at Success Academy Charter School, which she says helped cultivate her passion for education and youth development. Jai’s educational background, combined with her experience as a former student-athlete, had equipped her with the skills and determination to inspire students to achieve their full potential.

This was evident when she worked as a New Heights Summer Academy Team Leader, leading the Social Justice curriculum that summer. With her education in criminal justice, Jai was able to provide valuable knowledge to our young student-athletes and frame conversations that related to their shared experiences as student-athletes. That summer Jai spent as a Team Leader, she told us, only deepened her dedication to empowering young people, particularly student-athletes.

“I literally rave about New Heights and try to connect as many young people with [the organization] as possible,” Jai said. I also try to get as many alumni connected as possible. New Heights has instilled core principles in me such as discipline and time management that I will carry with me forever. I learned to work hard everyday, trust in my team, and most importantly, never give up on myself. The life skills I acquired here are invaluable and I have taken them with me in my professional life. They have helped me become a stellar employee.”

Now, Jai serves as a College Access and Success Advisor at the Opportunity Hub in Brooklyn, where she provides mentorship, guidance, and resources to students navigating their academic and career journeys. Jai looks forward to a future where her work with student-athletes and her aspiration to become an investigative agent intersect, creating new opportunities to make a lasting impact.

“I hope to continue to impact the youth positively any chance that I can get,” Jai shared. “I also hope to further my education and utilize my Criminal Justice degree. [Additionally,] I hope to launch a business in life coaching or some form of counseling soon.”