We’re proud to showcase our alumni from the AGB Foundation Business Internship program. These fine young people spent at least six weeks learning with us at AGB and are now pursuing their academic and entrepreneurial dreams. Congratulations to our business interns!
If you want to know what it means to be resilient take a look at these 11 faces. One week has gone by since our favorite young people completed the Summer Business Internship at AGB Innovative Security Solutions. Boy, do we miss them! They have changed so much.
To say the AGB interns transformed is an understatement. As they completed this hybrid program they obliterated their view as average high school students and welcomed their new identity as young professionals. They consistently made the decision to meet every deadline, show up to every virtual meeting, and bring fresh ideas to the table. Right away, they applied pressure!
Over the last six weeks, the interns’ consciousness expanded. These fantastic young people had the opportunity to engage in career conversations with C-Suite executives from companies like Facebook. Former AGB scholar Steve Wilson exposed them to excel while they completed projects for AGB Innovative Security Solutions departments.
Due to the pandemic so many programs forced to shut down. However, YOUR SUPPORT, allowed us to adapt during these hard times. Your gifts provided the 2020 AGB interns with professional attire & a digital portfolio. It includes their resume, professional headshot, & a well developed LinkedIn profile.
A special thank you to Sara Martinez, our Program Manager, who worked diligently with our interns to ensure the program ran smoothly.
Even though the interns learned a lot from us, we learned what it means to live out resilience from their ability to keep working while the world is at a standstill. They did not get distracted from their end goal. Their dance moves on TikTok, presentations to clients, and phone interviews set the expectation for future interns.
As you can see, their time here was well spent, and we miss them.
Community Day of Appreciation:
Reinvesting in our community is extremely important to us. Every year on our anniversary, we celebrate by paying it forward in under-served areas of Chicago. We partner with nonprofit organizations to supply one’s everyday needs through care packages and/or employment advisory through our Community Appreciation Day.
Your Family Comes First:
The AGB Foundation is dedicated to helping minority families in struggling communities improve their financial security and quality of life. Family First provides two types of critical programming: seminars for young minority professionals on a range of business and financial topics; and direct assistance to families of color who are experiencing a crisis.
Today’s Interns, Tomorrow’s CEO’s:
The AGB Foundation is working to build a legacy of young minority executives. We are giving them tools to prepare for life after college and the workforce. Meet some of our developing leaders.
Because of You They Can:
You were the solution for our scholars in 2019. Thanks to the support of individuals and businesses, we awarded $20,000+ in scholarships and provided incredible social-emotional care packages for our scholars.
Learn More About the Griffins:
The founders of AGB Investigative Services, Inc. completed Season One of Secure Podcast. Their podcast addresses the intersections of love, family, and entrepreneurship.
The Always Giving Back Foundation inspires young Chicagoans from minority backgrounds to develop and pursue their professional goals by providing them with resources to support them on their journey. Take Journee Lockridge, for example. This AGB intern and scholar is doing big things at a young age!
A sophomore at Howard University, Journee is already a published author. Her book Stay Ready is a guide to successfully navigating the transition to college. Journee says her book offers “real and raw advice of what to expect and/or what to avoid during their first semester of college.”
Journee also has been selected to participate in the Forbes Under 30 Scholars program. This honor is given to a diverse group of outstanding college students in America. She will be among 1,000 scholars attending the Forbes Under 30 Summit, a gathering of young entrepreneurs and visionaries in early October 2019.
These accomplishments are nothing new for Journee. At Gwendolyn Brooks High School in Chicago, she served as president of the National Honor Society and also founded a mentorship organization called the Big Sister Project.
What differentiates Journee from others her age is her dedication, drive, and adaptability. We saw those qualities in her when we chose her to participate in our Summer Business Internship, then awarded her an AGB Scholarship her senior year in high school. During her summer with us, Journee learned to be a better communicator and effectively manage her time. She also developed her leadership skills and professional poise.
When she graduates from Howard, Journee looks forward to a career in the financial industry. She’d like to work with Goldman Sachs in New York City, where she would like to become an investment banker.
Eventually she would like to start her own nonprofit organization, teaching youth financial literacy, educating them on financial markets, and how to invest their own money to build their generational wealth.
Journee is a phenomenal young woman who has a vision to make an impact wherever she sets foot. We are so excited about her future. And we can’t wait to make a difference in the lives of more students like Journee.
