Bank of America Names Student Leaders

The Bank of America Charitable Foundation selected five Philadelphia public high school students to take part in its 2013 Student Leaders program, which awarded a total of 225 community-minded high school juniors and seniors from around the country with paid eight-week summer internships at local nonprofit organizations.

Despite gains in the overall job market, teens still have the highest unemployment rate: one out of every seven young people is not in school or working. Research indicates that teens who are gainfully employed have lower drop-out rates, are more likely to continue their education to pursue long-term career goals and ultimately show an increase in lifetime earning potential. 

That’s why Bank of America started the Student Leaders program. It is part of the company’s ongoing commitment to provide individuals with access and exposure to critical resources that will bolster their work and life skills while also benefiting the community.

“Teens are once again facing a tough time finding summer jobs,” said Thomas C. Woodward, Pennsylvania president for Bank of America. “Our Student Leaders program provides them the opportunity to earn and learn, while increasing the capacity of nonprofits to serve critical community needs.”

Philadelphia’s Student Leaders are:

• Oumourumana Jalloh, a Northeast Philadelphia resident and recent graduate of Philadelphia High School for Girls
• Chinazaekpere Odu, a Southwest Philadelphia resident and recent graduate of John Bartram High School
• Angel Padilla, a Northeast Philadelphia resident and rising senior at Northeast High School
• Naz’hae Singleton, a West Philadelphia resident and rising senior at the Charter High School for Architecture and Design
• Joseph Wieczorek, a Northeast Philadelphia resident, and rising senior at MaST Charter School

The students are at Philadelphia Youth Network. In addition to the paid internships, the students attended

the weeklong Bank of America Student Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. Summit activities included a service learning project and a series of interactive workshops, including Capitol Hill briefings and sessions on financial education and leadership development skills. The students gained a deeper understanding of how service creates positive change and how corporate, nonprofit and government collaboration revitalizes communities.