Forty students from 11 historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) recently converged on New York City to prepare for life after college.
The Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) Citi Exploration Program, formerly known as the HBCU Career Incubator Program, provides professional development programming, college and career coaching and financial literacy workshops to HBCU students. The program began as a response to Black students graduating with a much higher debt burden than their white counterparts.
“The program helps our students transition to the corporate world, especially those who may be first-generation corporate employees,” Kimani Robinson, senior manager of learning and talent, said. “Exposure to that kind of environment is critical for helping students to feel like they belong in the room.”
Students enter as freshmen and move through the program with a cohort. This year’s cohort visited Citi headquarters Aug. 12-14, taking part in fireside chats; a tour of the Citi trading floor; and interactions with Citi leadership, including a panel of HBCU alumni.
“At first, I thought a bank or a financial institution wasn’t necessarily for me,” Morgan Curry, an international business major at Howard University, said. “I didn’t think I’d be interested in working there. The opportunity to be here for the HBCU Career Incubator Program and having the chance to learn about what Citi does and what opportunities it offers makes me think maybe they do have a place for me.”
The visit culminated in the program’s inaugural case competition, where students devised innovative ideas for recruiting and retaining diverse talent at Citi.
“We’re grateful to continue this exciting partnership with Citi Foundation for their investment in and development of HBCU students,” Dr. Harry L. Williams, president & CEO of TMCF, said. “We share a strong commitment to education and addressing the racial wealth gap.”
