At 29 JFK's Grandson Graduates From Harvard Law And Business School

Feb 06, 2022 by apost team

The infamous Kennedy family has been making headlines for decades. Everyone knows former President John F. Kennedy and his wife, Jackie Kennedy, but the family was in the public eye long before his presidential term. Patrick Joseph Kennedy was the first member of the family to be elected to public office in 1884, and there was at least one family member in public office from 1947 until 2011. 

This long political lineage eventually led to JFK's term as the 35th President of the United States, where he and his wife became one of the most prominent power couples in the nation's history. They had two children, Caroline and JFK Jr., and three grandchildren. 

Even though none of the family members serve in public office today, the iconic family unit is still making headlines. Jack Kennedy Schlossberg, JFK's grandson, has just graduated with a dual degree from Harvard. At 29 years old, Schlossberg has now earned degrees from both Harvard Law school and Harvard Business school. 

He entered Harvard in a JD/MBA program, which allows students to attend both the business and law school at once and graduate with both degrees at the same time. Before Schlossberg started at Harvard in 2017, he earned his undergraduate degree from Yale, where he studied history with a concentration in Japanese history. This is likely due to the fact that his mother, Caroline Kennedy, is the former US ambassador to Japan. 

The recent graduate celebrated his accomplishments on Instagram, where he posted photos on Jan. 30, 2022, from a graduation party at his home. In the photos, he stuck his tongue out and held a plate of cupcakes decorated with graduation caps and Harvard emblems. 

Though this accomplishment is impressive on its own, it's only a small part of the recent graduate's extensive resume. While at Yale, he wrote for the Yale Daily News and The Yale Herald. Since then, he has been published by ​​The Washington Post, The New York Times, Time, and New York Magazine's The Cut. 

This experience in the world of journalism eventually led to his introduction into politics, where he is certainly not afraid to speak his mind. In 2016, he wrote an opinion piece for Politico. In the article, Schlossberg said, "Were my grandfather alive today, he'd be excited about how far we have come as a nation since 1963, he would feel a sense of urgency about the challenges that lie ahead, and he most certainly would not be a Republican."

In 2020, he and his mother were invited to speak at the Democratic National Convention, where he used the content of one of JFK's speeches to garner support for President Biden. In the speech, Schlossberg said," Times have changed, but the themes of my grandfather's speech—courage, unity, and patriotism—are as important today as they were in 1960."

Schlossberg's political activism is not the only thing he has in common with his grandfather—he also bears a striking resemblance to former President JFK. When he worked for former Secretary of State John Kerry, Kerry said Schlossberg also shared his grandfather's sense of humor. 

"A sense of humor is not genetic, but apparently in the Kennedy family it can be inherited," Kerry said. "In President Kennedy's grandson, Jack Schlossberg, this quality seems to abide."

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Now that Schlossberg has graduated, there's one question on everyone's mind: what's next? A reporter asked him that very question during his first TV appearance on The Today Show in 2017. He was heading into his first year at Harvard, and he admitted that he wasn't sure what he would do after graduation. 

"I'm inspired by my family's legacy of public service," Schlossberg said. "It's something that I'm very proud of, but I'm still trying to make my own way and figure things out. So stay tuned—I don't know what I'm going to do."

Many would find it difficult to come after a legacy as large as JFK's. After a few months attending Harvard, Schlossberg spoke about his experience with his grandfather's fame in an interview for Boston.com. He said that apart from people knowing who he was, he even ate at restaurants on JFK Street. 

"There's no pretending that it's not here when I'm at Harvard," he said. "The first few days it felt a little weird, but now I don't think about it so much."

In the same interview, he said he intended to use his law degree to practice environmental law, focusing on climate issues. Even so, he admitted that by the time he graduated, his interests could change. 

"Come three years from now, my interests could be completely different," Schlossberg said. "I'll always be interested in climate issues, but my idea of what I want to do will probably change."

Now that Schlossberg has finished his time in school, we'll all be watching as he makes decisions about his next steps. One thing is for sure—with JFK's looks, wits and charm, the recent grad is undoubtedly headed for success, no matter what he chooses. 

What do you think about Jack's incredible achievement? Pass this article along to the people you know who can't get enough of this iconic American family!