James J. Bagley graduated in 2005 with a major in theatre and specialization in acting. He is now an attorney who focuses on social security disability and personal injury work.

Q. How did your URI degree best prepare you for your career path?

A. My BFA in acting prepared me to be in the courtroom and was a natural stepping stone into improvised comedy, which I’ve been doing on and off now for fifteen years.

In your opinion, what is the value of the arts both academically and in the community?

The arts are what makes life worth living; they connect human beings and evoke strong emotions. The pandemic should have taught us that arts, and artists, are far more valuable than society would have you think.

What advice would you give to current students or to young people thinking of pursuing a Fine Arts degree?

Follow your joy and recognize that in the arts what you have to find is your way of doing it.