When Marvin Maldonado joined Year Up United in 2017, he was working in retail while taking college classes. Like many young adults trying to figure out their next step, he was looking for stability, professional direction, and a pathway into a long-term career.
When he was offered an assistant manager role at his retail job — a step up in pay and title — it created a real crossroads. Accepting it would have meant stepping away from school and the Year Up United program he had just committed to.
“I had a decision to make,” Marvin said. “Thankfully, looking back now, I know for a fact I made the right choice.”
That decision set the foundation for a career that would take him from Year Up United intern to his current role as a Business Relationship Manager at Chase, with multiple promotions along the way.
Marvin joined the Customer Experience pathway at Year Up United while continuing his studies at Miami Dade College. During the learning and development phase, he built foundational skills that still shape his work today.
“The biggest takeaways were communication skills and how to navigate professional settings,” he said. “Problem solving was also huge. Those skills apply to every role.”
He was matched for an internship with Chase, where he quickly stood out for his consistency and work ethic — arriving early, staying late, and balancing school alongside the demands of the role. That performance led to an opportunity no previous intern in his market had received: a direct conversion into a full-time Associate Relationship Banker position.
From there, Marvin’s career accelerated through Chase. He earned additional licenses, advanced into relationship management roles, and steadily built experience supporting increasingly complex client needs. Each step expanded both his scope and his confidence.
For Marvin, growth came from pairing hard work with intentional ownership.
“About 95% is hard work, and 5% is timing and opportunity,” he said. “You have to take ownership of your journey.”
That mindset eventually led him into leadership as a Branch Manager — returning to the Midtown Center branch where he was first employed as an Associate Relationship Banker.
“It was full circle,” he said. “I went back to where it all started.”
Today, Marvin serves as a Business Relationship Manager, working directly with business owners on lending, financial strategy, and growth planning. The transition marked a shift from in-branch service to proactive business development — and a new learning curve he welcomed.
“It feels like I’m starting over again in the best way,” he said. “There’s always another level to grow into.”
In 2019, a couple years after Marvin’s journey began, Marc Meronne joined Year Up United when his own plans shifted. A high school athlete who had hoped to play college basketball, Marc saw those aspirations disrupted by injury. With that path no longer in front of him, he was looking for structure, direction, and a way to build a professional foundation after high school.
Year Up United became that entry point.
Marc joined the Business pathway while pursuing his associate’s degree. For his Year Up United internship, he was matched with another banking partner — an environment that was completely new to him.
“I had never stepped foot in a bank before,” he recalls.
At first, banking wasn’t something he had ever pictured for himself. But exposure on the job, combined with mentorship from a fellow Year Up United alum, helped shift his perspective. He was encouraged to stay curious, ask questions, and trust the learning process — guidance that became a turning point in how he approached his career.
After gaining experience in his early roles, Marc decided he wanted to challenge himself further.
That decision led to a defining moment. On a day off, he walked into a Chase branch wearing a suit and asked about opportunities. He had done his research beforehand, studying the branch manager on LinkedIn and preparing thoughtful questions — interview prep skills that he had learned at Year Up United.
“It was one of the best interviews I’ve ever had,” he said.
Shortly after, he received a job offer.
Marc joined Chase as an Associate Banker and quickly moved into a licensed banking track. When he faced setbacks during securities licensing exams, he used the experience as motivation rather than discouragement, returning stronger and earning a reputation for resilience and performance.
Over time, he expanded his influence across roles and branches, building a reputation for performance, persistence, and leadership. Today, Marc serves as a Branch Manager, overseeing a team of bankers and full branch operations across sales, lending, and customer service.
His leadership style reflects his journey — grounded in accountability, development, and coaching others to grow.
Now managing a team of roughly 10, Marc is also pursuing a master’s degree in project management, building toward his goal of becoming a Community Manager.
While their paths through Chase have looked different, Marvin and Marc share a common foundation in Year Up United — and the career readiness skills that helped translate early opportunity into long-term growth within the same organization.
Both continue to give back in ways that reflect that experience.
Marvin regularly volunteers on alumni panels and mentors interns at Chase, even requesting an intern for his branch based on his own experience in the program. That intern was later hired full time and remains with the company today.
Marc is also active in the Year Up United alumni community, speaking on panels, attending intern sessions, and engaging with current participants across South Florida. He has referred multiple candidates to the program and frequently participates in early-career events, often emphasizing the importance of preparation, confidence, and staying open to opportunity.
“I feel a responsibility to support them because I was once in their shoes,” Marvin said. “As much as they want to impress leadership, I want to impress them too.”
Marc echoes a similar perspective, often reminding interns that growth comes from consistency, curiosity, and showing up ready to learn.
Together, Marvin and Marc demonstrate how opportunity can shape not just where a career begins, but how far it can go — opening doors that lead to growth, leadership, and lasting impact.