public class JFK { public static void main(String[] args) { String first = "John"; String middle = "Fitzgerald"; String last = "Kennedy"; String initials; String firstInit, middleInit, lastInit; firstInit = first.substring(0,1); middleInit = middle.substring(0,1); lastInit = last.substring(0,1); initials = firstInit.concat(middleInit); initials = initials.concat(lastInit); System.out.println(initials); } } // or simply public class JFK2 { public static void main(String[] args) { String first = "John"; String middle = "Fitzgerald"; String last = "Kennedy"; System.out.println(first.substring(0,1). concat(middle.substring(0,1)). concat(last.substring(0,1))); } }