Siena’s mission is to prepare its graduates to go out and make the world a more just, peaceful and humane place. Tynicia Hendrix ’26 has embraced that concept from the time she was in elementary school. Her job title now? Peace Coach. For the future? Law school.
Hendrix’s interest in politics began long before she earned her degree in that major. Her early days in school service led to her involvement with Siena’s Mentoring Program once she arrived on campus. She was a member of the inaugural class of Advocacy Fellows through the Franciscan Center for Service and Advocacy, and is now spending a year living in a Franciscan community in Washington D.C. as part of the order’s mission service.
What exactly does a Peace Coach do? Hendrix partners with Little Friends for Peace, an organization that teaches conflict resolution, nonviolence, and peacebuilding to children and adults who then bring their new skills back to their families and communities. She’s putting her religious faith and the Franciscan values she learned at Siena directly into practice.
Raised in Plattsburgh, N.Y., Hendrix served as a class president at Peru High School and created a Peace and Justice Club. She was also involved with changing her school’s mascot from the Indians to the Nighthawks, part of national trend to acknowledge and respect Indigenous culture.
Hendrix had friends at her high school, as well as friends in the projects, and noted the difference between the academic and social advantages of one world compared to the other.
“I would ask myself ‘Why is this happening?’”
She learned about Siena from a high school guidance counselor who was an alumnus. The mission and the location were good fit for her, and she chose to major in political science with an eye toward eventually attending law school. First though, she had to get through a challenging adjustment period as a freshman.
“I really struggled,” she recalled. “I was taking classes with older students and I wasn’t sure I could keep up.” Hendrix hit the books, reviewing case studies and legal theory, encouraged by professor and pre-law advisor Len Cutler, Ph.D.
“My path has always been toward law, and Dr. Cutler showed me that I really could do this.”
It’s not just legal knowledge that will inform her future career, but a dedication to helping others. When she learned about the Franciscan Mission Service from the Franciscan Action Network during her senior year, she thought “this is something I can do.”
She currently shares a house in D.C. with seven others in what is called an “intentional community.” She said the experience of community outreach and living with others who share prayers, cooking and friendship, and who espouse her goals and values has strengthened her faith.
“It’s good to have emotional and spiritual support behind you when you’re doing this kind of work,” she explained. “Otherwise, compassion fatigue can become an issue.”
Following a late summer orientation, her mission began in mid-September and will last for a year. As with many people who serve the community, she’s doing “a little bit of everything” from case management and administration, to program tracking and grants - “everything that keeps a non-profit running.” The focus, though, is on working with adults and children at community centers to help them develop peace building skills or to serve the unhoused simply by being there for them and listening.
“It’s hard, but it’s also heartwarming to be there for them, to give them calm and serenity,” she said. “I’m learning how to not see certain situations as ‘wrong’ but to just put myself in the other person’s shoes and really think about the best way to help them. It’s only been two months but I have learned so much about my faith. Listening to people’s personal stories has been very eye-opening in many ways.”
Hendrix is preparing to take the LSAT exam on November 13, and depending in her scores she will either start applying to law schools or look for a political internship in Washington or Albany. Either way, she wants to be involved in the development of policy and law that will help families and children.
She recognizes that not everyone can dedicate a year to full-time service, but knows that many people want to help others in some way.
“There are so many different ways to help and to make change,” she said. “Maybe community outreach is not your calling, but you can volunteer for a day or donate to support a cause. Every little bit helps.”
Will Figueroa, director of Siena’s Franciscan Center for Service and Advocacy, got to know Hendrix during her years at Siena through the mentoring program and as an Advocacy Fellow.
“Tynicia is a compassionate, thoughtful, and intellectually curious person who genuinely cares about people and the challenges they face,” Figueroa said. “I've seen her ability to listen to, loop in, and lead people from different backgrounds with empathy and respect. Her commitment to human dignity, coupled with her desire to turn her convictions into meaningful action, makes her particularly well-suited for her work in peacebuilding and conflict resolution.”