Bank of America Prepares Hartford Teens for Success through Paid Summer Internships

Pictured above, from left to right, are Shay Pezzulo, Emma Cook, Sebastian Kerr, Brea Austin and Shyesha Washington.

HARTFORD -- Bank of America recently announced that five high school juniors and seniors from the Hartford community have been selected as Student Leaders. The program offers young people, who are engaged community citizens, an opportunity to build their workforce and leadership skills through a paid summer internship at Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford, and participation in a Student Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C.

Early employment opportunities are a critical stepping stone for young people entering the working world. When young people can’t access early employment opportunities that build their skills, they are at risk of being left behind and not finding a meaningful job in today’s competitive workforce. With local youth unemployment rates at 10.6%, Student Leaders connects young people to summer employment that supports their long-term financial success, and in turn helps the economic progress of Hartford.

“Early employment opportunities help teens build the skills they need to establish a career and get on a path toward financial stability,” said Kevin Cunningham, Connecticut market president, Bank of America. “These exceptional students are the future of our community, and this opportunity will help them access critical resources and skills to prepare them for future success.”

The five Hartford Student Leaders are:

• Brea Austin, a Hartford resident, and rising senior at The Ethel Walker School, is interning at Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford
• Emma Cook, a Southington resident, and rising senior at Classical Magnet School, is interning at Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford
• Sebastian Kerr, a Hartford resident, and recent graduate of Achievement First Hartford High, is interning at Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford
• ShayMin Pezzulo, a Burlington resident, and rising senior at Classical magnet School, is interning at Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford
• Shyesha Washington, a Hartford resident, recent graduate of Academy of Engineering and Green Technology, is interning at Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford

These five young people joined more than 200 other Student Leaders from around the country in Washington D.C. on July 10-15 for a Student Leadership Summit. As part of this week-long convening, students discussed how to build a more diverse and inclusive society, gain a better understanding of how cross-sector collaboration creates community impact, and became part of a network of community leaders that will support their citizenship and engagement.

About Bank of America Environmental, Social and Governance

At Bank of America, our focus on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors is critical to fulfilling our purpose of helping make people’s financial lives better. Our commitment to growing our business responsibly is embedded in every aspect of our company. It is demonstrated in the inclusive and supportive workplace we create for our employees, the responsible products and services we offer our customers, and the impact we help create around the world in helping local economies thrive. An important part of this work is forming strong partnerships across sectors - including community and environmental advocate groups, as well as non-profits – in order to bring together our collective networks and expertise to achieve greater impact. Learn more at www.bankofamerica.com/about and connect with us on Twitter at @BofA_News.