Salt Lake City — Bank of America announces that the four Salt Lake City high school rising seniors and outgoing seniors selected as Student Leaders (#BofAStudentLeaders) are participating in their paid summer internship experience of workforce skills, leadership, and civic engagement with Utah’s Fourth Street Clinic and STEM Action Center. As part of the program, the students are receiving $17 an hour and a Chromebook. Similar to last year, the program has been adapted to a mostly virtual format with some socially distanced, voluntarily in-person components.
Without access to career skills-building opportunities like the Student Leaders program, many young people may be left behind in a rapidly changing job market, leading to higher rates of youth unemployment. Through the eight-week paid internship, the Salt Lake City-based Student Leaders are working closely with the Fourth Street Clinic to support vulnerable and low-income individuals experiencing homelessness as well as the STEM Action Center to assist with hands-on learning opportunities, such as harvesting their own gardens.
“Bank of America is steadfast in our commitment to supporting Salt Lake’s young adults by connecting them to jobs, community engagement opportunities and leadership development,” says Mori Paulsen, president of Bank of America Salt Lake City. “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 that is ready to enter our local workforce.”
In addition to the Student Leaders program, Bank of America provided the Salt Lake County Mayor’s Office with a $35,000 grant to connect four more teens and young adults to paid internships. The Salt Lake County Summer Intern Program employs students who need to earn money while attending college or university, are considered low-to-moderate income, and embody the vast diversity represented by the community’s population.
“The Salt Lake County Summer Intern Program has been a wonderful success for our office. The program has allowed us to build young leaders from our strong intern cohort who are insightful, professional, and adept at tackling tough societal issues head-on,” says Jenny Wilson, Mayor of Salt Lake County. “I am grateful for this generous grant from Bank of America, which allowed us to build an equitable and inclusive intern program. I’m excited to see these students use their newly acquired skills to build a pathway to success in their future careers.”
The Class of 2021 Salt Lake City Bank of America Student Leaders includes the following students:
- Yousuf Haidari, Salt Lake City, Cottonwood High School, STEM Action Center – Embodying exceptional skills and leadership, Yousuf served as president of the National Honor Society and president of the robotics team, along with previous volunteer roles with organizations like 4-H and the Millcreek Youth Council.
- Nathan Flores, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Center for Science Education (SLCSE), STEM Action Center – With a personal goal of helping to create a united community by finding a balance in resource distribution in government, Nathan has been involved in the National History Day Program for years, serving as a student ambassador and leader. He has also represented SLCSE on a national level at both the Academy of American History and Civics and the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.
- Isabelle White, Salt Lake City, Highland High School, Fourth Street Clinic – With a commitment to helping others, especially in the local Jewish community, Isabelle holds a role as editor and full-time board member of jGirls Magazine, a platform for Jewish teenage girls to share their thoughts, experiences and art. She also serves as a guest speaker at the Jewish Community Center and is a writer for Fresh Ink for Teens.
- Diya Rao, Salt Lake City, West High School, Fourth Street Clinic – Demonstrating extensive volunteer experience throughout her high school career, Diya used her talents to serve as a piano teacher and event ambassador for the Mundi Project as well as a teen leader and youth volunteer at the Salt Lake City Public Library during a previous summer program. Diya also held a leadership position with the National Honor Society.
Started in 2004, the Student Leaders program recognizes 300 community-focused juniors and seniors from across the US annually. As part of this summer’s program, Student Leaders participated in a virtual summit in partnership with the Close Up Foundation to participate in Stanford University’s Young Democracy at Home program, which encourages conversations about current issues facing young people today. In addition, they participate virtually in sessions on the vital role nonprofits play in advancing community health and the importance of public-private partnerships to drive social change while building financial acumen. The Student Leaders program was launched in Salt Lake City in 2020.
Bank of America
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