10/02/2026
🎓Meet the Committees!
Leading up to conference, we’re introducing the members who make up each of INACAC’s committees. This week, we’re excited to introduce Ja’Niah Downing, Chair of the Membership Committee!
Ja’Niah has been working at Purdue University West Lafayette for 13 years. His role focuses on helping first-generation, under-resourced, and low-income students navigate the challenges on their path to college. What he loves most about his position is the opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of students and help them see what is possible for their future.
As Chair of the Membership Committee, Ja’Niah finds it especially rewarding to help professionals, especially those newer to the field, see the value of getting involved with INACAC. His advice to students is simple but important: “Never go it alone.” There are so many professionals who want to help students navigate every step of their journey to college.
He also shares an important lesson he learned early in his career: proofread your emails! He makes a point of reading emails out loud to make sure the flow, tone, and grammar are correct, reminding us that a poorly written email can unintentionally send the message that you don’t care enough to proofread.
When he’s not working, Ja’Niah enjoys house projects, spending time with family, movie nights, sports, meal prep, and church. Seeing a student believe they can be successful at a school like Purdue is something that always makes him smile. He’s also a big fan of Christian hip-hop, including Andy Mineo, Lecrae, K.B., Derek Minor, Jackie Hill Perry, Indie Tribe, Miles Minnick, and Social Club Misfits. His current favorite book is Project Hail Mary, and his favorite movie is Avengers: Infinity War. 🎬
And for a fun fact you might not know about Ja’Niah: he was born on July 3rd, so he typically gets fireworks around his birthday! 🎆
Stay tuned as we continue introducing the people who make up INACAC’s committees!
🎧Song Playing: "Clean" by Jackie Hill Perry
