Jean-Pierre “J.P.” Hendrix ’16

Helping Others Build a Better Life

His family background makes the field of immigration law near and dear to J.P. Hendrix ’16

By Mark DiPietro

Jean-Pierre “J.P.” Hendrix ’16 comes by his interest in immigration law naturally.

His family immigrated to the United States from Haiti in the 1970s in pursuit of a better education and the chance to build successful careers. J.P. is now immersed in the minutiae of immigration law, working as a paralegal at the Boston branch of the international law firm Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP. “Coming from a family of immigrants, I’ve always wondered how I could best give back to others who, just like my family, had come to the United States in search of a better life,” J.P. says.

As part of the first cohort of Landmark College baccalaureate graduates in 2016, J.P. recognizes all the opportunities he had that led to his success. He’s now working to ensure that others have the chance to benefit from these same opportunities, too.

“Haiti experiences a lot of brain drain,” says J.P., whose capstone project toward his B.A. in Liberal Studies focused on the plight of Haitians after the devastating 2010 earthquake. “I look at my life in the United States as a first-generation immigrant and I see my purpose as giving back to others however I can. In a few years I’d like to go back to Haiti and do just that.”

J.P. grew up in North Attleboro, Massachusetts, and discovered LC when he attended its High School Summer Program. After high school, he enrolled at LC and stayed for two years before transferring to Lehigh University in Pennsylvania. But as his ADHD and executive function challenges caught up to him, he found the academic workload to be too intensive, and his grades fell behind. In 2014, after LC had established its first baccalaureate program, J.P. re- enrolled in the B.A. program. “One of the biggest takeaways from my experience at Landmark was the importance of a strong support system as a condition for success in not only academics but also one’s personal life.

Lynne Shea, dean of the School of Liberal Studies and the Arts, says, “What I appreciated about J.P. was not only his interest in learning, but his desire to engage at all times in a discussion of ideas, not just facts. He is also a natural leader. Other students responded to his high energy but also recognized his willingness to face his challenges,
particularly in the area of writing.”

Shortly after earning his B.A., J.P. entered the workforce. In early 2017 he was offered a temporary position at Fragomen as a caseworker, which became permanent in December 2017.

“It’s been incredibly exciting to be able to come into work every day and be somewhat on the front lines of a pretty contentious topic in American politics. Specifically, I get to work on a team that deals with corporate immigration, filing non-immigrant and immigrant visa petitions on behalf of companies like Amazon, HCL Technologies, Amadeus, Microsoft, and others,” he says.