This summer, five female high school students from Miami-Dade County were given a chance to earn real life work experience through an eight-week paid internship at a local nonprofit as part of Bank of America’s Student Leaders program. Their work experience included a week-long trip to Washington, DC, for a leadership summit.
The students, juniors and seniors, were selected to participate in the annual program in recognition of their community service efforts and academic achievements.
The summer internship at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade offered the young women a chance to learn civic, social and business leadership skills and the critical role nonprofits play in the community. It’s an opportunity to gain work experience early on, which is one way Bank of America is helping Miami’s youth prepare for tomorrow’s competitive job market. The bank is giving young people the aspirations, the skills and the confidence to make the most of opportunities available to them.
“Empowering young people is part of our company’s commitment to making financial lives better,” said Gene Schaefer, Miami market president, Bank of America. “We are helping these students build a strong foundation so they have the skills and confidence to succeed when they enter the job market.”
The Washington, DC, Summit, which took place July 10-15, joined 200 other Student Leaders from around the country where they participated in skill-building workshops, a service learning project, sessions to develop better money habits and meetings with members of Congress.
This year’s Student Leaders include: Katherine Perez, senior at G. Holmes Braddock High School; Sara Sarmiento, junior at Coral Reef High School; Caridad Cruz, junior at Hialeah Gardens High School; Deirdre Edward, senior at Coral Reef High School, and Donna Murillo, senior at MAST Academy.
Since 2004, the program has connected 60 teens from Miami with summer employment, and has supported 2,200 young people nationwide.
