Bank of America donates $10,000 to 2 Reno youth for Student Leaders program

RENO, Nev. — Bank of America on July 10 announced that the two Reno high school students selected as Student Leaders started their paid summer internship with local nonprofit PBS Reno.

Due to COVID-19, the program has been adapted to a virtual format.

“Recent estimates suggest that the number of disconnected youth who aren’t in school and don’t have a job has likely tripled since last year and could be as high as 18 million,” according to a July 10 press release from the bank. “In 2018, 9 percent of Northern Nevada teens ages 16 to 19 were not attending school or working, exceeding the national average of 7 percent. Without access to opportunities that build career skills and earn a paycheck, many young people may be left behind, leading to high rates of youth unemployment and hindering overall economic progress.”

With that in mind, as part of their Student Leaders internship, each student receives a $5,000 stipend from Bank of America.

“Now more than ever, as we collectively navigate the challenges we face in our communities, Bank of America remains committed to supporting young adults of all backgrounds by connecting them to jobs, skills-building and leadership development,” Andrew Diedrichsen, Reno market president for Bank of America, said in a statement. “Creating opportunities for our youth to gain skills and build a network is a powerful investment in the future of our community.”

Reno’s 2020 Bank of America Student Leaders are: Harshavardhini Manivannan, a senior at the Davidson Academy; and Harini Tirumala, a senior at Galena High School.

“The Student Leaders will 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,” according to the release. “They will also participate in programming that includes a collaborative, mentor-focused project working closely with PBS Reno on their new station program, PBS Spotlight Awards, which highlights local individuals and businesses doing extraordinary work within the community.

"After this, the Student Leaders will spend time creating a story bank tool — a means for nonprofits to collect a variety of anecdotes to utilize for fundraising, advocacy or other purposes.”

In addition, they will join Bank of America’s 300 other Student Leaders from across the country for a dialogue on the role of citizenship and how cross sector collaboration creates community impact.

The virtual program, “Young America Together at Home” will be delivered by the Close Up Foundation and include discussions about finding one’s voice in order to affect change and address pressing policy issues, such as the economy, healthcare, the environment and immigration.

According to the July 10 release, in addition to its Student Leaders program, Bank of America is connecting approximately 3,000 young adults nationwide to paid summer jobs this year through various programs such as its Financial Center Intern Program and partnerships with city-wide summer youth employment programs.