The Advancing Black Pathways Fellowship Program

Jahzeer:

Just seeing all these Black leaders at the firm in such high positions opened my eyes to, really, what’s possible.

Byna:

I think the economy and the job market has changed tremendously. And as a result of that, we’re seeing some employment opportunities come and some disappear. So it’s about creating a culture where everybody can bring themselves to work everyday. And we made some significant commitments at JPMorgan Chase that I’m extremely proud about. Advancing Black Pathways Fellowship Program, the commitment to hire young talent coming out of college and provide opportunities for career development for those college students. It’s about four weeks of networking and those softer skills, and two weeks of direct work with the lines of business.

Lelani:

You will go over the different lines of businesses of J.P. Morgan, network with current employees, and of course with other students that were invited.

Byna:

You feel like you have a home, and you have a cohort group that supports you both from our staff and our professional leaders at the organization.

Jahzeer:

Advancing Black Pathways, there’s no program like it. I learned so many different things like how to speak to people, how to carry myself.

Christian:

I gained a lot of experiences, especially as it relates to client interfacing. I’d never worked in a corporate environment; I mean I’d never had a client before.

Chef Dana:

Working with Lelani on this program, you could tell she really loved what she did. She really had that spirit and wanted to go above and beyond.

Byna:

We want to make sure that when they’re here, they have a tremendous experience, both to contribute to the firm and to the communities that we live and serve in.

Lelani:

From Advancing Black Pathways, I learned the importance of being my authentic self within Corporate America.

Christian:

Being in an environment surrounded by African American women that were actually embodying what I aspire to be gave me the edge.

Byna:

As we see those young people come in the door, it really brings us hope and it lets us know that change is possible. We’ve made some tremendous strides.

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