Bank of America isn’t just writing a check. It’s showing up — in high school and college communities, places where the next generation is trying to figure out what their future could look like.
That’s the spirit behind the bank’s latest investment in Big Brothers Big Sisters of Essex, Hudson & Union Counties, a $50,000 grant that expands a mentoring and workforce development pipeline reaching more than 3,000 young people a year. The support strengthens a partnership that has grown steadily as Bank of America looks for deeper, more sustained ways to connect with the communities it serves.
For BBBSEHU — recently named Big Brothers Big Sisters of America’s Agency of the Year — the funding helps scale a model that blends one-to-one mentoring with hands-on career exposure. Youth ages 14–24 get access to internships, scholarships, summer jobs, and workforce development programs through a network of corporate, university and healthcare partners.
Even more, they visit workplaces, shadow professionals, build résumés, learn financial literacy and receive college coaching through Bright Horizons.
It’s the kind of programming that banks often talk about supporting. Bank of America is choosing to be part of it.
Carlos Lejnikes, the CEO of BBBSEHU, is grateful.
“Mentorship is one of the smartest investments we can make in our future workforce,” he said. “Bank of America’s investment allows us to expand pathways to college and meaningful careers for the next generation of talent.”
One of the most innovative elements of the initiative is a pilot with St. Peter’s University — a model that turns college students into mentors, pays them through work-study, and awards academic credit. It’s a two-way pipeline: younger students get guidance from someone just a few steps ahead of them and college students gain professional experience that strengthens their own career trajectories. BBBSEHU plans to expand the model across additional campuses.
For Bank of America, the partnership is part of a broader strategy to support workforce development and economic mobility — not just through grants, but through proximity.
“When young people have access to professional mentors and real career experiences, the impact reaches far beyond the individual,” Alberto Garofalo, president of Bank of America New Jersey, said.
The outcomes are measurable. BBBSEHU aims for a 90% high school graduation rate among participants and a 70% post-secondary enrollment rate — numbers that far exceed averages in the communities it serves. Research shows mentored youth can earn 15–20% more over their lifetimes than their non-mentored peers, translating to an estimated $1 billion in additional lifetime earnings for the youth the agency has served.
Based in Newark, BBBSEHU has become one of the most recognized mentoring agencies in the country, earning multiple national awards for program quality, growth, and innovation. Since its founding, it has served more than 5,300 youth and currently reaches over 3,200 annually.
At Bank of America, Garofalo said the partnership offers something increasingly valuable: a chance to be part of a system that doesn’t just prepare young people for jobs, but helps them build the confidence, networks, and relationships that make those jobs possible.
“Big Brothers Big Sisters of Essex, Hudson & Union Counties has built something that works: a direct connection between underserved youth and the skills, networks and opportunities they need to build lasting economic security,” he said.
