Charlottesville, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Bank of America Charlottesville is spotlighting its commitment to community development through the Student Leaders Internship Program, an opportunity for high school juniors and seniors in the Charlottesville and Albemarle areas. The program, now in its sixth year locally and its 20th nationally, offers an eight-week paid internship in partnership with the United Way of Greater Charlottesville, as well as a weeklong leadership summit in Washington, D.C. 

“It takes all of us, government, business, nonprofits and the individual to be that change leader. And that’s really what we’re hoping to do, is to develop young people who want to be change leaders in the communities where they live,” said Carolyn Rainey, President of Bank of America Charlottesville.  

Western Albemarle High School senior Willa Simmons, a former intern, shared her transformative experience working on the United Way’s Day of Caring project. “It was an amazing internship. I learned so much about my community and then through the summit I was able to learn from highschoolers around the nation about the work they’re doing, and it was very inspiring,” Simmons said. 

Interns engage in hands-on work with nonprofits, gaining exposure to community challenges and solutions. As part of their role, students conduct outreach, assist with event planning, and collaborate with leaders to support local initiatives. “I also had the opportunity to meet with leaders of nonprofits around Charlottesville with Carolyn once a week, and that was a really exciting way to learn about how many nonprofits there really are and how they’re all interconnected and working together,” said Simmons. 

Applications for the program are open until January 15, 2025. Interested students can find more information by searching “Bank of America Student Leaders” online. 

Listen here for the full conversation: