Bank Engages Community-Minded Teens in Paid Nonprofit Internships

Bridgeport, CT— Bank of America announced on Monday it is funding paid summer internships to two Bridgeport and two Stamford students through its Student Leaders program. The students will spend their summer working for the Cardinal Shehan Center in Bridgeport and the Boys & Girls Club of Stamford.

Student Leaders is a signature philanthropic program which offers young people an opportunity to build their workforce and leadership skills through a paid summer internship at a local nonprofit and the ability to help improve their communities. Since 2007, 63 youths from Fairfield County and New Haven County have been recognized as Student Leaders and provided summer internships at various non-profit organizations throughout the region. This summer, Bank of America is investing more than $4 million in funding to support nearly 3,000 summer jobs for teens across the country through various initiatives, with a particular focus on young people from low-income families.

The Bridgeport Student Leaders will work at the Cardinal Shehan Center which serves the recreational, educational, and social needs of families in Bridgeport. The Cardinal Shehan Center was a Bank of America Neighborhood Builders award recipient in 2009 and has been a host organization for the Student Leaders program for more than 10 years. The Stamford Student Leaders will work at the Boys & Girls Club of Stamford, which empowers local youth by providing a safe and supportive environment with caring adults. The Boys and Girls Club of Stamford has had a long-standing and multi-faceted partnership with Bank of America and has been a Student Leader host organization for more than 10 years.

The four Student Leaders are:

William Garay of Bridgeport. William is graduating from the Fairchild Wheeler Aero Hydro Space Engineering Magnet School and will be attending the University of Connecticut this fall. William is a member of the National Honor Society and has volunteered at several local organizations. He also co-founded a Music Club at his high school.

Tasia Courts of Bridgeport. Tasia is a rising senior at St. Luke’s. Tasia is a volunteer for the Special Olympics and a member of the St. Luke’s Student Council.

Donia Elmansy of Stamford. Donia is graduating from the Academy of Information, Technology & Engineering and will be attending Yale University this fall. Donia is a volunteer teacher at the Islamic Cultural Center and a mentor for Domus Kids. She co-founded the Girl Up Club at her school. Girl Up is a United Nations campaign focused on achieving equality for disadvantaged girls abroad.

Daniel Sorial of Stamford. Daniel is a rising senior at the Academy of Information Technology & Engineering. Daniel is a volunteer judge for the CT Middle School Debate League. He is also President of the Student Council and a counselor in the AITE Summer Academy for incoming freshman

“We recognize building workforce skills early can help prepare a young person for long-term success,” said Bill Tommins , Southern Connecticut market president, Bank of America. “Investing in youth and young adults is part of our broader commitment to connect individuals to the training and jobs needed for success, ultimately strengthening our community and we are thrilled to bring the Student Leaders opportunity to the Bridgeport and Stamford communities.”

Today, about 15 percent of all young people across the country, or 4.7 million, are categorized as disconnected youth who are not in school and do not have a job. Without access to opportunities which build career skills, many young people may be left behind, leading to high rates of youth unemployment and juvenile delinquency and hindering overall economic progress. Paid youth employment programs like Student Leaders which connect young adults to education, training and the job market can help them build workforce skills while also enabling them to engage with their community in unique ways.

Through Student Leaders, Bank of America helps young people gain work experience, broaden their perspective on how nonprofits serve community needs, and advance their civic engagement. Student Leaders from across the country also develop better money habits by working with bank volunteers to increase their financial management skills, from building a budget to creating a savings plan. Now in its fifteenth year, the bank has recognized nearly 3,500 Student Leaders from across the country. Nationally, the program will engage nearly 300 young people during the summer of 2019.

To bring the program full circle and enable Student Leaders to engage with their like-minded peers, Bank of America also hosts an annual leadership summit in Washington, D.C. (July 8-13). The Connecticut Student Leaders will join nearly 300 other program participants from across the country to discuss how to build a more diverse and inclusive society, gain a better understanding of how cross-sector collaboration creates community impact, and learn how they can become more engaged and impactful citizens. Students will participate in a service learning project, meet with Connecticut's Congressional Delegation, learn about ways to tackle poverty, discuss pathways to leadership, and participate in a series of workshops to build better money habits.

Bank of America also provides information and tools to help young adults learn about careers and personal finance through Better Money Habits®, its financial wellness and education platform.

About Bank of America:

At Bank of America, we’re guided by a common purpose to help make financial lives better, through the power of every connection. We’re delivering on this through responsible growth with a focus on our environmental, social and governance (ESG) leadership. ESG is embedded across our eight lines of business and reflects how we help fuel the global economy, build trust and credibility, and represent a company that people want to work for, invest in and do business with. It’s demonstrated in the inclusive and supportive workplace we create for our employees, the responsible products and services we offer our clients, and the impact we make around the world in helping local economies thrive. An important part of this work is forming strong partnerships with nonprofits and advocacy groups, such as community, consumer and environmental organizations, to bring together our collective networks and expertise to achieve greater impact. Learn more at about.bankofamerica.com, and connect with us on Twitter (@BofA_News).

Reporters May Contact: Tara Burke, Bank of America; tara.a.burke@bankofamerica.com