Paid Summer Internships Connect Teens to Leadership Training & Work Experience
Bank of America recently announced Greenville Technical Charter high school student David Chavez was selected as a Student Leader® (#BofAStudentLeaders), an eight-week paid summer internship connecting students to employment, skills development and service. Chavez gained practical work and leadership experience, and received financial education coaching from Bank of America’s Better Money Habits curriculum, while working with local nonprofit Hispanic Alliance, and earning competitive wages.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary year, the Student Leaders program recognizes 300 community-focused juniors and seniors from across the U.S. annually. Since 2004, Student Leaders has engaged more than 4,500 students and invested $42 million in more than 500 local nonprofits as a critical part of the bank’s long-standing effort to build pathways to economic mobility across nearly 100 markets.
“Bank of America remains committed to creating pathways to success for young adults in the Upstate by connecting them with employment, leadership development, and community engagement opportunities,” said Stacy Brandon, president, Bank of America Upstate South Carolina. “Programs like Student Leaders offer meaningful work experiences to help prepare students for higher education and future careers.”
The Hispanic Alliance convenes the largest network working collaboratively to advance Hispanic communities in South Carolina. Bank of America has worked on various initiatives with the Hispanic Alliance for several years. The nonprofit was named the BofA Neighborhood Champion for the Upstate in 2021.
“The Student Leaders program is a natural evolution of our partnership,” said Adela Mendoza, Executive Director of the Hispanic Alliance. “We are honored to have a community champion committed to investing in equitable opportunities for the next generation of leaders in South Carolina.”
David’s involvement with the Hispanic Alliance included preparing public relations campaign materials for the upcoming month-long celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, a federally recognized national celebration from September 15 – October 15. Additionally, Mr. Chavez completed community outreach with the Hispanic Alliance’s partners through the summer programming for Hispanic youth, which focused on social-emotional skill building, STEAM enrichment, and service-learning projects.
David’s supervisor, Debbra Alvarado, Director of Programs & Network Engagement for the Hispanic Alliance, weighed in on David’s tremendous development at such a young age, “From the first day on the job, David impressed me with his positive attitude, attention to detail and work ethic. This young man has the attributes of a leader and has been a great asset to the Hispanic Alliance team.”
Marissa Chandler, another Bank of America Student Leader in the Upstate, completed her summer experience in Spartanburg with Hub City Farmers Market.
The Student Leaders also traveled to Washington, D.C. for a week-long, all expenses paid, national leadership summit to learn how nonprofits, governments and businesses collaborate to meet local needs.
