Five Orlando teens are among 230 high school students nationwide selected for Bank of America’s (BOA) Student Leaders Program, an eight-week summer internship at several local non-profit organizations, including Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Florida Inc. The program comes at a time of high teen unemployment rates and where many are struggling to find meaningful work this summer.
The students, recognized for their strong commitment to community service are Orlando residents:
- Collin Edwards, rising senior at Lake Highland Preparatory School
- Omar Hussein, rising senior at Trinity Preparatory School
- Wesley Rivera, rising senior at Timber Creek High School
- Cassandra Castro, rising senior at Osceola County School for the Arts
- Ruchi Jahagirdar, recent graduate of Seminole High School
As part of the recognition, the students will also be attending the Bank of America’s Student Leadership Summit in Washington DC, July 10-15. At the summit, they will take part in leadership training and participate in interactive workshops, Capitol Hill briefings and participate in a service project with Operation Homefront to create care packages for military families.
Created by Bank of America in 2004, the program is based on the belief that leadership and service are critical elements helping to propel the nation and world forward. Since the program’s inception, Bank of America has committed more than $8 million, with the company investing about $1 million in the student leadership program this year alone.