Meet Current Reconnectors
Jenniffer Vasquez Felix
MAJOR: Mental Health and Human Services
Jenniffer Vasquez Felix always knew she wanted to help others. Born in the Dominican Republic, she moved to Brooklyn in 2007 at the age of 13. Now a mental health and human services major at Kingsborough Community College, she is determined to support immigrant families and young people as they navigate difficult transitions.
“I returned to college because I realized how much I wanted to transform my personal struggles into purpose,” she shared. “Mental health is often overlooked in immigrant households, mine included. I want to be the kind of support I wish had been available to me.”
As a mother, immigrant, and community advocate, she’s seen firsthand how hard it is for families to start over in a new country, especially immigrant youth.
Working as a constituent associate in the NYC Public Advocate’s Office, she saw many people struggling to access mental health resources or even find someone to guide them. That experience motivated her to formally study mental health and human services so she can better serve her community.
The youngest of three, Jenniffer is now the second in her family to attend college. She’d stopped out at 21 after becoming pregnant and put her dreams on hold for years. “Later, I faced the difficulty of leaving an unsupportive marriage and even battled a life-threatening illness that required surgery,” she said.
This fall, Jenniffer enrolled at Kingsborough as part of the new CUNY Reconnect program, which helps adults aged 25 to 55 return to college for free. She also joined the Flex program, which lets her take online classes to fit her schedule. “Returning to school wasn’t easy, but it was necessary,” she said.
She chose Kingsborough for its strong mental health and human services program and flexible schedule that fits her life as a working mother. “KCC offered the perfect environment for me to not just return but to thrive,” she said.
Now, being back in college feels different. “The most surprising thing has been how much I’m enjoying it this time,” she said. “When I was younger, college felt like an obligation. Now, it feels like a privilege.” She says the Flex program lets her balance school, work, and parenting. “For years, I thought I had missed my chance. But being back reminds me that it’s never too late to begin again.”
Jenniffer is also a writer and an active member of the Dominican Writers Association. One of her stories will be published in an anthology this December. She is featured in the 2013 documentary “I Learn America,” which followed her and four fellow immigrant classmates as they adapted to a new culture in high school. She now leads storytelling workshops for young adults at screenings of the film.
After graduating, she hopes to continue working in mental health services, focusing on immigrants, women, and families who struggle to access care.
For anyone nervous about returning to college after a break, Jenniffer offers this advice: “It’s okay to feel afraid, anxious, or overwhelmed at first, but trust me when I say, it’s so worth it to show up for yourself. Proving to yourself that you can and that you’ve got this is a liberating feeling. Learning new things is an exciting, good habit to incorporate, because it not only allows you to evolve, it also helps you to look forward in life. You don’t lose anything by trying.”