The Fellowship Initiative ensures young men of color around the country have access to opportunity and education.
The Fellowship Initiative
“Who you know only gets you in the door; what you know gets you the keys to the house.” – Gina Greenlee, best-selling author.
W
hile there’s no secret recipe for professional and financial success, we know that access to a broad set of learning and skills development experiences, networks, and strong mentors plays an important role for many. These assets and critical ingredients to success are not equally available to everyone, as 1 in 3 young people will grow up without a mentor and many lack access to quality education and employment experiences. But these inequities won’t solve themselves–they require intentional and deliberate action from leaders who not only have the power to help open the door but can hand over the keys for long-term success as well. That’s why JPMorgan Chase created The Fellowship Initiative (TFI), a three-year program to provide young men of color in high school with the education, skills, and resources that contribute to greater economic mobility. TFI offers professional and personal opportunities for young men to hone leadership and networking skills. Fellows like Jason Lopez from Los Angeles found a lasting sense of community through TFI and say the program has been instrumental in supporting both personal and professional growth. “TFI gave me the knowledge that by surrounding myself with positive people who want me to succeed, it will allow me to become the best, most successful version of myself,” said Lopez, a 2017 TFI graduate and student at Cal State University, Long Beach. Lopez believes education is the key to a better life.“I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life after high school. The only thing I knew was that furthering my education would not only help me navigate this world,
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The Positive Community Fall Issue 2022
but also assist me in gaining the tools to be successful in the future,” he added. “Once I heard what the Fellowship Initiative could do for me, I knew that I could not pass it up because it could change my life.”
“Opportunities don’t come to you sitting at home. One has to take the initiative. Dream, and make sure you chase it because it will not chase you.” More than 600 JPMorgan Chase employees have worked with TFI Fellows providing mentorship and coaching, Since 2020, the program has expanded to Houston; Oakland; and Washington, D.C.; and now serves students in seven cities across the country. The program has an impressive impact on students, having driven 100 percent high school graduation and admission to college among graduating Fellows. “Many of these young men are the first in their families to access quality postsecondary supports and opportunities to go to college,” said Rudy Lozano, head of The Fellowship Initiative, JPMorgan Chase. “Through TFI, we’re able to break down the systemic barriers that too often limit economic mobility and invest in the growth of the next generation of leaders.” During their time in TFI, students receive academic training and project-based learning as well as one-on-one
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