NAF Alumna Bierkis De Leon Shows Us What Is Possible

I want to first thank NAF, its partners, and all the academies for providing this experience to public high school students across America. I’m a firm believer in the public school system. But with so many students and not enough resources, kids can get lost in the shuffle. I used my NAF academy education to make sure I would be seen and heard.

I was born in the Dominican Republic. My family moved to Queens, New York, when I was five. Our parents sacrificed so much and had high expectations for us. All the other first generation immigrants here know I’m not even kidding when I say I had three choices for my career: doctor, lawyer, or engineer.

I remember my parents asking my 4th grade teacher, “Why is my daughter getting Bs and not As ?” May I remind you I had been in this country 4 years, learning English and every other subject, in classrooms where the teachers spoke no Spanish. My teacher told them, “She’s going to be an average student and you’re going to have to accept that. She’ll graduate high school and that’s it.”

For me, this answer hurt. It would always hurt. But my parents said, “That’s crazy! We’re not going to take that.” They told me, “You just have to give your best all the time because you’re always going to be judged.”

So I did.

One of the best parts of NAF is going out of my comfort zone, literally. But when I told my parents – at age 15 – that I was going to take a train into New York City at 8am, alone, on a Saturday for a college readiness workshop, my parents were like, “No, you are not.” I had to learn how to explain the benefits which outweighed the risk. Many girls in my class had to convince our parents to let us to go on trips and take advantage of certain opportunities. We were Hispanic, Guyanese, Bengali, Indian, Polish, Muslim, Christian — our similar experiences as girls connected us and made us strong.

Through our NAF Academy of Hospitality & Tourism, we went on job shadowing trips. Seeing the people in power, we connected on the fact that these leaders did not look like us. It was uncomfortable.

But that was the point. We were there not just to see what was possible but to BE what was possible.

Today, I’m earning an MBA at Hofstra University, while working full time at Amalgamated Bank. No, I’m not a doctor, lawyer, or engineer. But I am a banker! I’m the Assistant Vice President of Community Development for a company that makes me proud.

Amalgamated Bank is all about making sure communities are enriched by its presence there. We work side by side with hundreds of unions and continually focus on what’s best for firefighters, teachers, and healthcare workers. Amalgamated was the first bank to raise our minimum wage to $15. Part of my job is to make sure we invest in the low and moderate income areas where our branches operate, similar to where many NAF academies are.

My experience with NAF positioned me, and the other girls in my class, to have a better chance and a bigger voice. I want to lift up the generations coming after me. I want academy students to know, “Just because you have an accent, just because you’re from the city, just because you’re an immigrant does not mean you’re not good enough. There’s a role out here for you.” I was given so much and it’s an honor to be able to give back. Thank you!