A²MEND student mentee Mike Young has a clear vision of how he’ll use his college degree from San Francisco State University. As a college junior who is majoring in business with a concentration in finance, Young seeks to leverage his education to one day help increase economic growth to the same type of low-income communities where he was raised. “I’d like to work with folks on the business development side to help underserved communities see their economic potential,” he said. “I come from an underserved community in Vallejo. So this work is important to me.”
Young believes that A²MEND helped influenced him to achieve his educational goals. He first learned about the organization while a student at Solano Community College, where he was invited to an A²MEND hosted webinar. Enthralled by their work, “I’ve been involved with A²MEND ever since,” he said.
Young has participated in a number of A²MEND activities, from movie events to seminars, which have enabled him to network with other students. Young has also had opportunities to network with business professionals through A²MEND. During an A²MEND webinar that featured speakers from Deloitte, Young was able to invite them to speak at a biannual “Meet the Firms” event at San Francisco State University. “It was great having a Deloitte team there because they’re number one in the financial services field,” he said.
Young hopes that other Black college students throughout the state will learn about A²MEND so they can also benefit from their mentoring support and other valuable services. “A²MEND fills a gaping hole for men of color,” he said. “A²MEND shows Black men that there is a way through education to achieve a measure of success.”
