Bank of America Partners with University of Memphis Business Students to Prepare for Success After College

Bank of America is creating opportunities for the future.

The financial institution has partnered with the University of Memphis’ Fogelman College of Business and Economics for the FCBE Career Fellows Program, a program open to college juniors to help prepare Black business students for professional success. The Memphis Business Journal reported the program already has four students participating in the two-year program.

Bank of America stated the program is set up to provide students with professional development opportunities, job shadowing, resume and interview workshops, internships, and career opportunities.

Trevia Chatman, president of Bank of America’s Memphis market, said opportunity is the best way to tackle the gap in racial equality. “The FCBE Career Fellows Program is designed to further equip Black and African American undergraduate business students with career development support and guidance to help ensure their success and position them for career advancement,” Chatman said.

“Career opportunities are a critical pillar in addressing the racial equality gap in our country.”

The school said this partnership has been in the works for over a year. According to the Memphis Flyer, FCBE is looking to provide students with internships that can give them the same financial stability as a part-time job. Mentors are in place to give guidance, as well as the opportunity to take advantage of their resources, something director of the Avron B. Fogelman Center for Complete Professional Development, Marja Martin-Carruth, says is a common situation. “Some students just don’t take advantage of those resources, or know how to access them,” Martin-Carruth said. She continued to say many don’t even know the option is available to them.

Bank of America is committed to investing in the Black community of Memphis. They are the fourth-largest bank in the Memphis metro area, with over $2 billion in local deposits. They also invested close to $700,000 in funding to non-profits to improve economic status in the area.