Center for Financial Advancement® Scholar Jaylon Turned Opportunity Into a Career — Before Graduation
For many college seniors, the final year comes with one constant question: What happens after graduation?
For Jaylon, a senior at Morgan State University, that question has already been answered.
Before even completing his final semester, Jaylon — a Center for Financial Advancement (CFA) Scholar and former CFA intern — has been offered a full-time Account Manager position with North East Housing Initiative (NEHI), a Baltimore nonprofit dedicated to helping families access and sustain homeownership.
His journey began through the 2025 Cummings Scholars Program. What started as a marketing internship quickly evolved into something more. NEHI saw his potential and chose to extend his internship beyond the original program terms. Recently, after working directly with the organization’s president on a special assignment, Jaylon received a full-time job offer following graduation.
Before joining CFA, Jaylon believed his path was already set.
“I imagined becoming a financial advisor because I saw that as the best pathway to make an impact on disadvantaged communities,” he says. “But after CFA connected me with an internship at a nonprofit, I realized how many different paths exist to make meaningful change. This internship opened my eyes to opportunities I had never considered before.”
Working within Baltimore’s 4×4 community, he witnessed firsthand how stable housing transforms families and neighborhoods. Seeing the impact changed how he viewed his own future.
“They were offering people life-changing opportunities by helping them get into homes and maintain them. Seeing that showed me the kind of change I want to help create.”
The job offer didn’t come from a single presentation or project. It came from how he showed up.
During a community back-to-school event, Jaylon spent time engaging with families and residents. According to NEHI leadership, the way he carried himself and interacted with the community revealed the professionalism and character they were looking for in a long-term team member.
“From what I was told, one of the biggest moments that led to my job offer was how I engaged with community members. It showed a lot about my character.”
Jaylon credits the CFA program with preparing him for that moment. Through mentorship and professional development opportunities — including the 2024 CFA conference in Charlotte — he gained confidence and learned how to build relationships.
“The best skill I gained through CFA was networking. The conference helped me become more open and confident connecting with professionals.”
He also became a mentor to other students, which strengthened his leadership skills and sense of responsibility.
Receiving a full-time offer during the first semester of his senior year lifted a major weight off his shoulders.
“Knowing what my next chapter will look like takes a lot of pressure off. Now I can focus on finishing school strong and making an impact on campus before graduating.”
He offers simple advice to future CFA Scholars: make the most of every opportunity, even when it doesn’t seem directly connected to your major.
“My internship was a marketing role and didn’t directly relate to my Economics major or Finance minor, but I knew working with a nonprofit would allow me to make a meaningful impact. I gave my best effort, and it turned into an offer that aligned with both my major and my mission to help others.”
When asked to summarize his experience with the program, Jaylon puts it plainly:
“The CFA program puts you in position to build a better financial future for yourself.”
Before he even walks across the graduation stage, Jaylon has already begun his career — one dedicated to strengthening communities and expanding opportunity for others.
And that is exactly what the Center for Financial Advancement was created to do.
