Rinit Zekaj

"From the very beginning of high school right through college, YPIE was there to support me."

• Palisade Preparatory High School (now Barack Obama School of Social Justice)

• Baruch College, December 2025, Finance Major, Philosophy Minor

• Banker Representative, Webster Bank

• Mentors: Raissa Fitzgerald (YPIE College Success Advisor)

Rinit was born in the Bronx after his parents moved to the United States from Kosovo. When he was 10 years old, his family moved to Yonkers, where he later attended Palisade Preparatory School.

How did you first hear about and join YPIE?

A YPIE advisor visited my freshman English class and talked about the YPIE learning experience. I signed up right away. I've always liked to be ahead of my peers, and I knew that took preparation.

I went to the College Zone almost every day after school, where I received academic support and encouragement. The extra five or six hours a week I spent studying at YPIE really prepared me for college. I was always interested in learning and books, and YPIE held my hand, saw my interest, and took me there.

YPIE quickly became much more than a place to study. It was this cultural educational hub where learning was a priority, and we all felt so safe and supported. I encouraged three of my friends to join, and we spent our afternoons learning together. We had such a blast learning! YPIE made learning fun. My younger sister is now a YPIE student too. YPIE is like my extended family.

How did YPIE help you succeed in college?

After graduating from high school, I enrolled at Hunter College undecided about my major. Then I took an accounting class, and it helped me discover my passion.

Raissa Fitzgerald, my YPIE College Success Advisor, checked in with me every month. When I told her how much I enjoyed accounting, she suggested I transfer to Baruch College to pursue a degree in Finance. She helped me with my application and the entire transition.

YPIE is always looking to make student-adviser and even student-student connections. Raissa also introduced me to another YPIE alum at Baruch, who helped me navigate my first weeks on campus.

You make so many lasting and important connections as a YPIE student. You meet people who can help you make important, even necessary, transitions, get you through obstacles, and share knowledge, experiences, and contacts. Everywhere you look, there are helping YPIE hands!

At Baruch, I thrived, graduating with a 3.7 GPA in Finance. I am so grateful to Raissa. She really understood my abilities, my passions, and why Baruch was the right choice for me.

YPIE has made me want to help other students succeed and find their passion.

While I was at Baruch, Raissa connected me with another YPIE student who was struggling in an accounting class. I shared study resources and worked with her personally to help her understand the material and succeed.

Where are you working now, and how did you get that position?

I graduated from Baruch in December 2025 with a major in Finance and a minor in Philosophy. After several months of looking for a job without success, I started to feel discouraged.

Raissa continued encouraging me and helped strengthen my resume. Then she told me about an opening at Webster Bank and connected me with YPIE volunteer David Isaac. David referred me for an interview.

This is where YPIE changed my life for the better, again. My YPIE connections helped me earn the opportunity to become a Banker Representative at Webster Bank.

From the very beginning of high school right through college, YPIE was there to support me.

What advice would you share with high school or college students?

It's never too late to figure out what you want to do. At 18, you're expected to know what you're going to do with your life, but you're still so young.

Don't be afraid to change directions. Starting at Hunter gave me time to discover my passion, and transferring to Baruch allowed me to pursue it. Get as much help as you can to find your way and make those changes.

Where do you see yourself in five years? What are your goals for the future?

I eventually want to become a financial advisor, where I'll have my own clients. I'm already learning about investing. I've had my own mutual fund investment account since I was 18 years old, and I love putting my money to work in the market and watching it grow!

Hear from Rinit in this video.