“In the popular media, John F. Kennedy, Jr., was often portrayed as a handsome, fun loving adventurer and risk taker, a young man who struggled academically and then with passing the New York State Bar exam. There was some truth to these perceptions, but JFK, Jr. was also so much more,” said GSE professor Joseph Ponterotto, Ph.D., in his introduction to participants in the most recent installment of the webinar series presented by GSE’s Psychological and Educational Services (PES) division.
Ponterotto, a GSE professor of counseling psychology for over three decades and author/editor of 14 books, is an internationally recognized multicultural psychology researcher and psychobiographer. His most recent book, A Psychobiography of John F. Kennedy, Jr.: Understanding His Inner Life, Achievements, Struggles, and Courage details JFK’s life as a visionary magazine editor who was admired for his leadership skills and his work ethic, his commitment to social justice and human service throughout his young life, and his particular skill in bringing very diverse groups of people together to outline and reach common goals that serve the public good.
Ponterotto noted that the discussion would center on revisiting JFK’s meaningful 38-year life, and on pondering the possibilities if he had been granted the gift of a long life. He shared, “I did not know JFK Jr. – I never met him – so I rely on the memories and reflections of those who knew him very well.”
