埃迪·萨默斯相信布朗克斯.  The two-time Marist graduate (Class of 2004 and MPA Class of 2006) grew up in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx, and now his professional journey has brought him back there to make a difference.  萨默斯说:“布朗克斯的人是真实的.  Despite the poverty, we care about our community and have a strong sense of connectedness.  但与曼哈顿和布鲁克林等地区不同, 布朗克斯并没有得到政府应有的承诺.  但我们有优秀的员工和创新的文化, 所以我们没有理由不能同样成功.”

作为布朗克斯私营工业委员会(PIC)的执行董事, Summers leads an initiative that strengthens the Bronx workforce by connecting local students with meaningful employment opportunities that align with the needs of local employers.  The Bronx PIC was founded by HERE to HERE in partnership with the Bronx Borough President’s Office, 布朗克斯整体经济发展公司, 当地雇主和机构组成了一个多元化、忠诚的群体.  它协调了许多创新项目, 包括为年轻人提供实习机会, 商业圆桌会议, and a pilot program in which students work to solve local business challenges.  今年4月1日，在萨默斯的掌舵下，imf正式启动运营.

正如萨默斯所解释的那样，布朗克斯PIC专注于结构性变革.  “We are an employer-led and student-centered organization transforming how 企业, 学校, 社区团体开发人才管道.  We tell educators the skills local 企业 are looking for and work with them to find students who are bright and ready to learn.  大概有5个,布朗克斯有1000家企业, 其中许多是小企业, and we want to support both them and our youth to create a vibrant community in which people can develop their skill set, 找一份好工作, 并保持.  These young people have great talent, and they can help sustain their community.”  With real estate developers now starting to see the Bronx as a place for investment, 让当地人参与进来的时机已经成熟.  And Summers wants to ensure that local residents are not displaced by gentrification trends and that they are part of the process of community development.  另一方面, he wants to make sure Bronx 企业 are committed to the local community as they upscale their workforces.

On August 16, Summers hosted interns, educators, and employers in a celebration of success.  整个夏天, the Bronx PIC connected more than 400 high school students to internships with 27 different community 企业.  With internship experience often a necessary prerequisite to finding employment, Bronx PIC students are gaining valuable skills to add to their resumes and building the confidence they need to do great things.  高中生妮可·克鲁兹, 介绍她在梦苑预科学校实习的人, learned Google sheets and other office systems while using her bilingual skills to collect student documents and help students with job applications.  克鲁兹说:, “My advice is to speak with everyone at your office about what they do because you might learn something about their work that interests you.克鲁兹有兴趣探索未来在教育政策方面的职业.

Recent Lehman College graduate Rhonda Donkor also interned over the summer at Dreamyard Prep.  梦想着读研究生，成为一名社会工作者, she was looking to gain social work experience and develop her skills working with young people.  像这样, she worked as a Gaming Programs Coordinator in a program that exposes students to future career paths.  说Donkor, “I got to create various gamer profiles and put together market research for a gaming survey.  I developed my problem-solving, critical-thinking, and technical skills.”

萨默斯花了大量时间推销当地的学校, 企业, 和非营利组织与布朗克斯PIC合作.  “It’s all about creating pathways for young people and supporting Bronx 企业.  让我们建立一个让人们摆脱贫困的生态系统.” Among the most innovative programs pursued under Summers’ leadership is the Thinkubator, a pilot program in which young people work to resolve challenges facing Bronx 企业.  三到六人一组工作, the students provided recommendations for how Spring Bank could bring more people into the formal banking system and away from risky financial products.  Another group helped family-owned Johnson Security Company figure out how to remain competitive with larger firms.  说夏天, “六周后, 学生们向企业展示他们的想法, 他们看到他们的建议是如何被重视和认真对待的.  他们的许多建议被付诸实施.  这对学生来说是非常棒的咨询经验.”

作为一名前圣母学院和HEOP学生, Summers knows how transformative opportunity can be in the life of a young person.  “HEOP is such a critical program and a model for supporting students through mentoring and advising.  It helps students, especially first-generation students, navigate college.  HEOP帮助我作为一个人进行训练，并影响了我的职业轨迹.Iris Ruiz-Grech说, 谁领导HEOP和bet亚洲365欢迎投注大学多元文化事务中心, agrees that Summers was always headed somewhere: “Eddie is a perfect example of how HEOP works.  He was a trailblazer as a student and continues to be one in his community.  He took great advantage of the opportunity that opened the doors for him and now he is paying it forward.“作为一名玛丽斯特的学生, Summer majored in political science and went on to earn his master of public administration degree at the College.  (He later earned his PhD in public and urban policy at the New School in 纽约 City.)  He spent several years serving as Presidential Fellow under President Dennis J. Murray and learning the ins and outs of higher education administration.  晚些时候, he ran the president’s office at Union College and served in a senior strategy and planning role at Long Island University. 

Six months into his new position with Bronx PIC, Summers couldn’t be happier or more fulfilled.  称之为“有史以来最好的工作”,” he is confident about the positive impact he’s having on his community and believes that, 如果成功, PIC模式可以在世界各地复制.  作为一个来自南布朗克斯的孩子, Summers knows that young people have to dream big and imagine themselves as part of the larger world.  他补充说, “I know there are better options out there for young people because I’ve been to Marist, 我在国外学习和旅行过, 现在我想向南布朗克斯的人们打开这个世界.”