Four juniors and seniors from Inland Empire High School recently completed the Bank of America Student Leaders summer internship program and are working with nonprofit organizations.
They are Anahy Castaneda, from Chaffey High School, Ontario, who did her internship at Hope Through Housing in Rancho Cucamonga; Riverside STEM Academy’s Samar Farooqi, who was an intern at the Riverside Art Museum; Isabelle Prittie of Rialto, a student at International Polytechnic High School who worked with Hope Through Housing, Rancho Cucamonga; and Abraham Sanchez of Banning High School, who worked with the Boys & Girls Clubs of San Gorgonio Pass.
The students were selected for the program because of their leadership, background, passion and commitment to the community, according to a press release.
In the eight-week internship program, students earned $17 an hour and were each given a Chromebook and had the opportunity to participate in personal activities.

“Bank of America is fully committed to supporting teenagers and young adults by connecting them to jobs, community engagement opportunities and leadership development,” said Bansree Parikh, President of the Bank of America Inland Empire, in the press release. “These students are the future of the Inland Empire, which is why programs like Student Leaders are a way to provide them with paid opportunities to gain positive work experience while also developing a diverse pipeline of talent as they join our local workforce.”
Initiated in 2004, the Student Leaders program recognizes 300 community-focused high school juniors and seniors from across the United States each year.
In addition to their internships, the Inland Empire-based student leaders participated in a virtual leadership summit conducted in partnership with the Close Up Foundation.
For information on Bank of America’s Student Leaders program, visit about.bankofamerica.com/en/making-an-impact/student-leaders.