Amir McFarlane was just 16-years-old when he decided to take the reins on his professional development.
Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, McFarlane always knew the end-goal for secondary education was a historically Black college or institution (HBCU); but having grown up in a low-income neighborhood with minimal statistics for collegiate men of color, the self-proclaimed “go-getter” was prepared to put in the work to ensure his political future and aspirations. He started by applying for The Fellowship Initiative (TFI) as a sophomore in high school.
“[The Fellowship Initiative] molds you at a very young age to understand the work of going to college, to understand what comes out of going to college, to basically show you how to break those [generational] curses,” McFarlane told The Informer.
Now, at age 20, the New York native continues to reap the benefits that the holistic youth development program bestowed upon him–he’s a political science major at Howard University; serves as a legislative intern in the House of Representatives; and is preparing to celebrate his early-career achievements alongside the first graduating class of TFI’s D.C. chapter in May.
“That program has definitely poured so much into me and shaped me into who I am today,” he said. “Within these regions, within these neighborhoods, you don’t see a lot of Black and brown kids going to college. So this initiative in itself is just beautiful, and the fact that I got to take part in it and even let it help me start my career is very beautiful.”
McFarlane is just one of dozens of participants that The Fellowship Initiative – founded by JP MorganChase in 2010 – has hoisted into college-ready young men pursuing various career paths, from politics to business and more.
With a mission to expand economic mobility and broaden talent pipelines, the multi-year fellowship collaborates with numerous institutions, community leaders and like-minded corporations to eliminate racial and systemic gaps in the business sector and shape the future of economic prosperity across multiple communities, including right here in the nation’s capital.
“The goal wasn’t just to support those young people, which is critically important, but to also make a statement to the wider field about what we could do in the private sector to be a leader, to show that a brand as large as JP MorganChase globally is willing to step foot here and say, ‘Look, we need to be more involved,’” said Fernando Snowden-Lorence, JP Morgan Chase’s vice president and program manager in corporate responsibility. “If we all believe in equity, then we need to promote equity. And that means we need to put our money where our mouth is in terms of supporting equity.”
TFI: Advancing an Inclusive Economy
Throughout the program, beginning with high school sophomores, fellows participate in a three-year, hands-on experience that consists of more than 100 days of mentorship, academic support, career readiness and skills development–all rooted in a shared goal of vocational preparation and academic success.
The Fellowship Initiative was brought to fruition due to the conclusive realization that there is a disproportionate difference in men that pursue secondary education, particularly among communities of color and in low-income areas. While various factors simultaneously contribute to the gap – financial resources, job exposure, to name a couple – TFI works beyond providing the necessary tools to thrive in the real world.
“TFI acknowledges the disparities that exist community to community–there aren’t the same opportunities, there aren’t the same choices,” said Snowden-Lorence, who leads The Fellowship Initiative. “The firm invests in finding out how do we increase the opportunities, work with partners to fund [them], be collaborative with nonprofit organizations, the public sector, the school systems…to say, ‘This is how we could solve for some of those disparities, this is how we overcome some of those limitations.’”
In the nation’s capital, home to one of the largest markets of the initiative, the fellowship program lasts four years, tracking students throughout the entirety of their high school experience, with yearly recruitments as opposed to the usual standard of enrolling a new class after matriculation.
It wasn’t until 2021 that TFI brought its rich impact to Washington, D.C., working closely with D.C. Public Schools (DCPS), the Office of the Chancellor and nonprofit Youth Guidance to determine the best practices for professional development and academic support for young males of color. Among the list of DCPS with fellows celebrating their inaugural graduation this year include: Eastern High School, HD Woodson High School, Dunbar High School, Ron Brown High School, Roosevelt High School, and Ballou High School.
“The collaboration…has just really allowed us to grow our thinking and our impact in communities of color with students on campus…particularly with students in the DCPS system,” Snowden-Lorence told The Informer.
Collaborations with Howard University
The youth development program dedicates much of its collaborative efforts to “advancing an inclusive economy,” Snowden-Lorence said, and partnering with HBCUs like Howard University has been a pivotal force in understanding what that looks like in the realities of young, Black men.
“[The JP MorganChase and Howard University partnership] has really not only borne fruit, but created growth in the space, in the sector,” said Snowden-Lorence. “It really carries you from where you were or where you are to where you want to be, providing you entry to the wider society – certainly the job marketplace – but the pedagogy, we can’t discount that either. That is the value that these sorts of partnerships provide. That is why we need to be connected to HBCUs.”
Like McFarlane, Sagid Mohamed graduated from TFI’s New York chapter with sights set on Howard University, and a mission to propel his financial career–fueled with the skills and confidence he attributes to The Fellowship Initiative.
“TFI helped me find direction. They just put me in front of so many people that it was inevitable that I would find where I was trying to go,” Mohamed said in a JP Morgan Chase brief. “Beyond helping me find a great mentor, build skills, and get my first internship, TFI helped me learn what being college-ready meant, both mentally and academically. This helped me achieve a lot of success during my first year at Howard University.”
Now, a graduate of Howard’s class of 2024, Mohamed works in asset management at the finance firm, and touts the benefits of frontlining one’s future through connected partnerships like those of TFI, JP MorganChase and his alma mater. Mohamed even shared his testimonial growth at a Chase event that kicked off the university’s 2024 homecoming, where McFarlane and dozens of educational and business leaders were in attendance.
“The event with [Howard and JP MorganChase] was very monumental. To witness the connection of these two strong institutions was, by all means, inspiring,” McFarlane told The Informer. “It’s definitely necessary to have more partnerships and momentums like these, as there are a lot of students that rely on their institutions when it comes to finances. Having more of these partnerships would change a lot.”
