Credit: Photo courtesy of Bank of America
This week, Bank of America announced the five metro Atlanta high school students that have been selected for its Student Leaders program.
The Student Leaders program is an annual eight-week summer internship that provides students with hands-on experience serving their respective communities.
Through the program, students develop leadership and practical workforce skills while working with local nonprofits. The internship is also paid, with selected students earning a wage of $17 per hour.
Among the group of students chosen for this year’s program includes Roland Foster III (Marietta, Pace Academy), MiCai Haywood (Fairburn, Westlake High School), Elsa Mathew-Lewis (Decatur, Decatur High School), Diya Rao (McDonough, Eagle’s Landing High School) and Isabel Yang (Douglasville, Douglas County High School).
Established in 2014, the Student Leaders program recognizes 300 community-focused juniors and seniors from across the U.S. every year.
According to Bank of America, amidst “changing economic environments and a shifting job market”, young people are in need of access to career experience and career skill-building opportunities — something that the national bank aims to provide through the program.
“By providing the pathways and resources for young adults to gain the foundational work skills and leadership experience they need to succeed, we are investing in our community’s long-term economic growth,” said Al McRae, president of Bank of America Atlanta.
“The teens selected for this paid summer intern program are truly extraordinary but may not have had access to opportunities like this until now. The Student Leaders program is just one example of how we connect people to meaningful employment resources that also builds a stronger pipeline of diverse talent for our local workforce.”
As part of the program, the students will travel to Washington D.C. for a week-long, all expenses paid, national leadership summit that will focus on “the power of cross-sector collaboration and community advocacy”, and will give them the opportunity to discuss civil engagement with members of Congress, according to a release.
For more information on the Student Leaders program, head over to the Bank of America website.