Bank of America recently announced five metro Atlanta high school juniors and seniors were selected as Student Leaders® (#BofAStudentLeaders), an eight-week paid summer internship connecting students to employment, skills development and service. These community-minded students will gain practical work and leadership experience and receive financial education coaching from Bank of America’s Better Money Habits curriculum, while working with local nonprofits, all while earning competitive wages.

This is the 20th year Bank of America has offered this competitive paid internship program in Atlanta, with 103 high school students having been selected as Student Leaders since the program began in 2004.

“By providing career and leadership development opportunities for teens for 20 years, we continue to help develop the next generation of skilled workforce that is essential to Atlanta’s long-term economic growth,” said Al McRae, president, Bank of America Atlanta.

The class of 2024 Atlanta Bank of America Student Leaders are:

• Ellis Schroeder, Atlanta, Druid Hills High School

• Annie Lin, Atlanta, North Atlanta High School

• Ososese Okojie, Douglasville, Douglas County High School

• Matthew Phillips, Atlanta, Lakeside High School

• Paul Gomez, Powder Springs, South Cobb High School

The Atlanta-based Student Leaders are participating in programming that includes a collaborative, mentor-focused project with the East Lake Foundation. This year marks the 12th year the East Lake Foundation has hosted Bank of America Student Leaders from Atlanta. Since 2013, more than 55 Atlanta Student Leaders have interned with the East Lake Foundation, an organization that works to enable residents in Atlanta’s East Lake neighborhood and families at Charles R. Drew Charter School to build a better future for themselves through its integrated and holistic model for community revitalization that includes mixed-income housing, high-quality education, and community wellness.

Along with Student Leaders, Bank of America is connecting 80 teens and young adults to paid jobs and internships with several Atlanta nonprofits through its Summer Youth Employment Program, and a partnership with Urban League of Atlanta for its Financial Center Internship program.

Later this summer, the Student Leaders will travel to Washington, D.C. for a week-long national leadership summit to learn how nonprofits, governments and businesses collaborate to meet local needs.