JPMorgan TFI Fellows Participate in Congressional Briefing on Mentoring

By: MENTOR

In Real Life

In a strong finish to their junior year, several young men participating in The Fellowship Initiative (TFI), traveled to Washington, D.C. to represent JPMorgan Chase on a topic that’s most meaningful to them: mentoring.

The TFI Fellows visited Capitol Hill, where one of the participants, Edgar, spoke at a Congressional briefing on mentoring hosted by the My Brother’s Keeper Caucus and MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership (MENTOR).  He was joined on the panel by Malcolm Johnson, an executive director in Real Estate Banking, who serves as TFI LA executive champion and mentor along with Sue Wegleitner, a managing director and Group Head Corporate Client Banking.

Developed by the firm in 2010 to improve outcomes for young men of color, TFI prepares high school students for success by providing intensive academic and support services, and pairing each Fellow with a JPMorgan Chase employee who serves as his mentor.

Edgar shared observations about his mentor Ed Bradley, a managing director in Global Wealth Management, and the impact he has had on his life:

“Ed is the kindest man I know,” Edgar said. “He always gives me great advice like never make enemies, always be kind and compassionate to others, and be humble and to appreciate anything positive that comes into my life.  His advice has changed the way that I think about the world — and I am a better person for it.”

Edgar, a Mexican/Ecuadorian student from Brooklyn, hopes to be his family’s first college graduate.  He described what this experience meant to him: “This was special for me because it made me feel more confident, like I have a purpose, which is to become a mentor myself and support the next generation.  I wanted to show people that the TFI Fellows are part of a wonderful program that is helping minorities grow into great members of our society.”

Elected officials at the briefing included U.S. Reps. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.), Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) and Danny Davis (D-Ill.).

After the briefing, Michael Smith, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director of Cabinet Affairs for My Brother’s Keeper, was so impressed by the Fellows that he invited them to meet with him at the White House.  While there, the Fellows learned more about public service — and ran into President Obama’s dogs on their walk.

The experience inspired TFI Fellow Jordan to say that it was “one of the best days of his life.”

 

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