Jahmal was born and raised in Hartford, CT and is of Jamaican heritage. He is currently a student at Cornell University majoring in Earth and Atmospheric Science with a concentration in climate science, and a double minor in climate change, and environment & sustainability. There, he is a McNair Scholar and part of the Black Students United political action committee. He is very interested in the intersection of climate, society, and social justice. He has worked with the City of Hartford Office of Sustainability, and conducted an REU on the impacts of climate change on water access in Bangladesh. Jahmal is also personally interested in fashion, art, and creating comic books.