At 41 years old, Jannkarlos Vargas ’21 is accomplishing something no one in his family has ever accomplished—he’s earning his bachelor’s degree. The Island Park, Long Island local, majored in Criminal Justice and minored in Latin American and Latinx Studies. “It took me 15 years to finish what students normally complete in four to six years because there were so many obstacles with my immigration status,” says Vargas. When he was six years old, Vargas and his parents immigrated from Peru. “Going through the Mexican border and only being a child; there were all these struggles and difficult experiences in the path ahead of me. When I was in middle school and high school, I thought I was like all the other students. Then in 2002, I learned that I was undocumented,” he says. “I had to educate myself on everything.” We sat down with Vargas to learn how John Jay helped him reach his long-awaited goal of earning a degree.

The Challenges
When Vargas was in the 11th grade, the most exciting thing on his horizon was getting a driver’s license like all of his friends. “When I approached my parents about getting my license, they sat me down and said, ‘No, you can’t do that because you’re undocumented and we don’t have a social security number for you.’ I understood what they were saying, but I didn’t realize the full impact that my status would have on my life,” he explains. Later, as his classmates were applying to colleges all over the country, Vargas contended with international student tuition prices and concerns about contributing to his family’s household needs. “I decided to do what I had to do—hard work, two or three jobs, and whenever I could, take one or two classes,” he says, recalling the slow climb toward earning his associate degree at Nassau Community College. “I had to sacrifice for my family. During that time, I also experienced domestic violence issues, and I had to help my sister, who was going through depression. I couldn’t cry or process my emotions because I didn’t have time.”

While juggling jobs in construction, landscaping, cleaning, and restaurant work, Vargas’ parents heard about an immigration lawyer in the Bronx who claimed he could help undocumented immigrants. “We went to see him and hired him to help with our status in this country. Sadly, we found out later that he was a fraud. Univision and Telemundo both aired shows saying that he wasn’t even a lawyer,” Vargas says, shaking his head in disbelief. “We paid him $5,000, and all that hard-earned money went down the drain.” When he did speak to legitimate immigration lawyers, Vargas became frustrated and upset over the endless suggestions to just wait. “They’d say, ‘You have to wait. Just wait. You’re almost there. Immigration reform is going to happen.’ Meanwhile, I’m getting older and older. Time was becoming my enemy.”

During his studies, Vargas read a famous quote from the late writer and activist James Baldwin: “What is it that you wanted me to reconcile myself to? I was born here more than 60 years ago. I’m not going to live another 60 years. You always told me that it’s going to take time. It’s taken my father’s time, my mother’s time, my uncle’s time, my brothers’ and my sisters’ time, my niece’s and my nephew’s time. How much time do you want for your progress?” Vargas immediately connected to the Civil Rights leader’s pain. “After I read it, tears were streaming down my face. I could relate so much. We just want progress. I just wanted all those blockades to come down so I could earn my degree.”

The Turning Point
A friend of Vargas’—who happened to be going to John Jay—piqued his interest by discussing classes on the criminal justice system, equality, and immigration. “As he was talking, I realized that he was studying so many aspects of my life. I applied to John Jay and got accepted,” Vargas says with a smile. “I was able to afford two, sometimes three, classes at once. I even got a job that was flexible and close to the B train. That meant I could hop on the subway.”

At John Jay, Vargas found a welcoming community that understood and accepted him. “At JJ Dreamers there were other people who were undocumented and faced the same struggles that I was going through. We would talk about our situations and release the pressures of being undocumented,” says Vargas. Through JJ Dreamers he connected to the Latin American Student Organization (LASO) and La Voz. “Doors were opening up for me and I decided to minor in Latin American and Latinx Studies [LLS].” His mentors in the LLS department suggested that he apply to the Rossana Rosado Fellowship Program, which helped him acquire a paid internship working with a coalition of immigration rights attorneys. “I was able to help clients who were like me. They were trying to get asylum because they were afraid of being separated from their families or being deported back to their country. After interning there, I was able to intern at Exodus Transitional Community, helping people who were coming out of prison upstate.”

As he helped people throughout his internships, Vargas started connecting to John Jay resources that could help him—namely the Immigrant Student Success Center (ImSSC) and the Wellness Center, where he found support, scholarships, and mental health services. “I wanted to talk to someone who could understand me, someone who understood the lives of undocumented immigrants. That’s when I met Denise at the Immigrant Student Success Center and Luz at the Wellness Center,” says Vargas.

After the pandemic struck, Vargas lost two of his three jobs, and the remaining job infrequently called him for work. “I didn’t know how I was going to pay my rent and my tuition. Denise was right there, telling me not to give up and finding scholarships not only for my tuition, but also for my rent. It took a lot of pressure off me so that I could focus on finishing my classes.”

Knowing that he’d experienced a lot of trauma in his life, Vargas, who was unaccustomed to mental health services, bravely reached out for counseling sessions provided by the Wellness Center. “I grew up believing that men weren’t supposed to cry. Luz was incredible. She broke down that emotional wall and helped me understand that it was okay to cry. She showed me that it was important to release some of that painful energy. In so many ways John Jay opened doors for me, opportunities became available that I never thought were possible. John Jay healed me.”

The Future
Recently, Vargas received an acceptance letter from NYU Silver School of Social Work. “I didn’t think I was going to get accepted into a master’s degree program, but thanks to my mentors in the LLS Department, I was accepted,” he says, happily shaking off astonishment and skepticism. Now, Vargas has his sights set on becoming a social worker. “What I went through when I was younger—and even now—was very difficult, but I found resources and connections that helped me. As a licensed clinical social worker, I want to help people know that there’s light at the end of the tunnel. I want everyone I interact with to see that there are resources out there—no matter your status, the color of your skin, or your past history, there’s help.”