Bank of America Announces 2021 Student Leaders

Sacramento, CA – Bank of America has announced that four Greater Sacramento high school juniors and seniors have been selected as Student Leaders (#BofAStudentLeaders). They have started their paid summer internship with the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Sacramento and will earn $17 per hour and receive a Chromebook as part of the internship. This year, students will have the option to voluntarily participate in in-person activities as part of the internship.

Without access to career skills-building opportunities like the Student Leaders program, many young people may be left behind from a fast-changing job market, leading to higher rates of youth unemployment. Along with the Student Leaders program, Bank of America is connecting more than 30 teens and young adults to paid jobs and internships across the Greater Sacramento region through a variety of programs, including a partnership with Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) and their Summer Jobs Initiative with the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Stockton as well as virtual paid internships through Bank of America financial centres and business departments.

“Bank of America remains committed to supporting young adults by connecting them to jobs, community engagement opportunities and leadership development,” said CP Parmar, president, Bank of America Greater Sacramento. “We recognize young adults are the future of our community, which is why programs like Student Leaders are one way we can provide paid opportunities for students to gain job experience while developing a diverse pipeline of talent as they enter the local workforce.”

The Class of 2021 Greater Sacramento Bank of America Student Leaders is:

· Eden Getahun, Sacramento, McClatchy High School 2021 graduate –A first-generation LGBTQ+, African American incoming college student of immigrant parents, Eden has a record of community engagement and student advocacy through leadership positions in the Youth Rise Commission, Girls Around the World, Student Advisory Council and many others. Experiencing the racial and gender bias, she uses her experience as an opportunity to be the voice of those who cannot stand up for themselves. Eden will be attending Yale in the fall.

· Elsa Fishman, Sacramento, Saint Francis High School Class of 2022 – Coming from a family of Mexican immigrants, she witnessed the effects of the immigration system and volunteers at the community organization NorCal Resist - a nonprofit dedicated to supporting immigrants and asylum seekers, where she worked with Asylum training, Know You Rights Trainings, and distributed free food and household resources to families in need. Elsa said that helping during the global pandemic showed her how small actions can have a direct effect on individuals and their families.

· Arveen Birdi, Manteca, Sierra High School Class of 2022 – As a Sophomore in high school, Arveen started a club to promote anti-bullying, anti-drug education, and the protection of student's rights along with spreading positivity. The club’s videos, which were produced by Arveen, about anti-bullying have been showcased in other local middle and high schools.

· Vicente Contreras, Stockton, Saint Mary’s High School 2021 graduate – Knowing students in his community have less exposure to science early on in their academic path, Vicente led his school’s youth mentorship group of “Close the Achievement gap Now (CAN) by guiding students to compete in the Science Olympiad. He hopes to bring a positive view of science and connect more students to opportunities and learning experiences in the science field in the future.

The Student Leaders program began in 2004 and recognizes 300 community-focused juniors and seniors from across the U.S. annually. The Greater Sacramento-based Student Leaders will engage in an eight-week paid internship and participate in programming that includes a collaborative, mentor-focused project working closely with the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Sacramento to learn more about their operations, such as finance, resource development, safety and marketing and support the community.

As part of this summer’s program, Student Leaders will also take part in a virtual Summit in partnership with the Close Up Foundation to participate in Stanford University’s Young Democracy at Home program, which encourages conversation about current issues facing young people today.