Jamard Jean-Pierre has lived his educational experience by two words: perseverance and persistence. Jamard was born in Brockton, the son of Haitian immigrants, before settling in Taunton, where he graduated from high school in 2016. His walk across the Bristol Commencement stage has been a step in a challenging yet rewarding journey. 

In 8thgrade, Jamard was considered an applied student meaning that he was below academic level. To overcome this challenge, Jamard put in a lot of time and hard work studying and discovering what academic areas he was strong in as well as subjects that were his weakness. As a result of his efforts, Jamard strengthened his skills and became prepared for the next leg of his journey

Jamard’s parents have always emphasized the value of higher education, so beginning college at Bristol became his next step towards success. Jamard credits Bristol’s faculty and staff for helping him at every step of getting started at the college, from assistance completing the FAFSA form, academic advising and even making sure he had the correct books for each upcoming course. In addition to academics, Jamard also became engaged with Bristol’s college community as a proud representative and speaker at the college’s African American Family Night series.

Jamard’s guidance and experience at Bristol led him to earn his associate degree in business administration transfer, celebrated at the college’s Commencement ceremony on Saturday, June 1, 2019.

With his journey not yet complete, following Commencement, Jamard plans to acquire both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in finance, before pursuing his goal of applying his expertise to music production and business. 

“To people taking that step, who are a little hesitant to go to college, Bristol Community college is the perfect choice,” said Jamard.