Local Charleston Area Students Selected for Leadership Training and Work Experience Program to Prepare to Enter Workforce

Paid Summer Internships Connect Lowcountry Students to Career Building Opportunities

CHARLESTON – Two Lowcountry high school students selected as Bank of America Student Leaders(#BofAStudentLeaders) have completed their paid summer internships, gaining leadership training and work experience that will equip them as they consider future education and career pathways. In partnership with local nonprofit Tri-County Cradle to Career Collaborative (TCCC), the Student Leaders developed their workforce skills, leadership, and civic engagement as part of the internship program. This year, students had the option to voluntarily participate in in-person activities as part of the internship; last year’s program was conducted virtually.

The Student Leaders program, started in 2004, recognizes 300 community-focused juniors and seniors from across the U.S. annually. The Class of 2021 Lowcountry Bank of America Student Leaders, Lydia Cox and Jason Guo, are recent graduates from Academic Magnet High School in North Charleston.

“Bank of America’s Student Leaders program is an investment in the future vibrancy of our economy. These young adults are able to gain valuable career experience and explore the important role that nonprofits play in our community’s long-term sustainability,” said Mark Munn, President, Bank of America Charleston-Hilton Head. “Paid internships and work opportunities are just some of the ways we are committed to advancing youth employment and workforce development to maintain a strong talent pipeline in the Lowcountry and beyond.”

The Lowcountry-based Student Leaders engaged in an eight-week paid internship and participated in programming that provided additional capacity to TCCC’s bodies of work, such as collaborating with TCCC staff on fund development to identify potential partners with aligned equity focuses, creating a racial equality resource bank, developing organizational governance documents, and mapping community engagement outcomes. 

“Lydia and Jason have been a great benefit to TCCC and our team. As they gained hands-on leadership knowledge alongside our staff, they also provided foundational support to our bodies of work,” said Phyllis Martin, CEO of TCCC. “The Student Leaders have added additional infrastructure to help us deliver equity-focused programs to close the academic achievement gap and promote positive outcomes for underserved students in the tri-county region.”

As part of this summer’s program, the Student Leaders also took part in a virtual Summit in partnership with the Close Up Foundation to participate in Stanford University’s Young Democracy at Home program, which encourages conversation about current issues facing young people today. In addition, the Student Leaders participated 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. 

Tri-County Cradle to Career Collaborative
Tri-County Cradle to Career Collaborative is a non-profit organization committed to closing the academic achievement gap for all children in the tri-county region, from cradle to career, with an emphasis on those who are impacted the most, Black and brown children, and those living in poverty.  

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).

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