Bank of America announces local student leaders

Bank of America recently announced that four area high school juniors and seniors were selected as Student Leaders, an eight-week paid summer internship connecting students to employment, skills development and community service.

The students will gain practical work and leadership experience and receive financial education coaching from Bank of America’s Better Money Habits curriculum, while working alongside local nonprofit Communities in Schools of Jacksonville.

This is the 20th year Bank of America has offered this competitive paid internship program in Jacksonville, with 95 high school students 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 workers, which is essential to the region's long-term economic growth," said Mark Bennett, president, Bank of America Jacksonville. “These exceptional teens selected for the Student Leaders program will not only gain practical work and life experience, but the community in turn will gain help from local nonprofits and a diverse pipeline of talent as these young adults enter the local workforce.”

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

• Rahul Kollum, Beachside High School: Rahul’s passion for aiding others inspired him to volunteer at Brooks Rehabilitation. At his school, he created a club called Beachside Stocks, which created a stock market simulation for more than 30 students to learn how the stock market functions and the importance of investing wisely.

• Vandana Guru, Allen D. Nease High School: Vandana serves as a board member with Jacksonville Tamil Mandram Youth Committee, a nonprofit that promotes interaction with the Tamil community in Northeast Florida. Vandana has also worked to direct events like a toiletries drive for the local homeless shelter.

• Angelina Che, recent senior at Atlantic Coast High School: Angelina has volunteered at her local library and with Feeding Northeast Florida Food Bank and BigFuture Ambassador, an organization that helps prepare students for life after high school.

• Anjali Gusani, The Bolles School: Anjali created and led her school’s first chapter of Future Business Leaders of America. She has also served as a U.S. State Department Youth Ambassador for Chile and Argentina and volunteered in Mayor Donna Deegan’s transition team.

Along with Student Leaders, Bank of America is connecting several teens and young adults to paid jobs and internships with Jacksonville Humane Society through its Summer Youth Employment Program.