Elijah Miles' Speech ****MUST WATCH***

I figured that this will be a good platform for me spread around the amazing speech that i just saw... or hear rather.  There's really not much to say since i'm still trying to digest it -- but i'll just let the speech do the talking.

Lessons Learned From The Summit

By Sridutt "Sri" Nimmagadda

Well, it's been a little over a week since we all returned from the Leadership conference in Washington D.C. and it seems that we've all more or less adjusted back to the humdrum of our daily work. Reflecting on one's experience at a life-changing event is a task that is not to be taken lightly. So I decided to wait a week, catch up on sleep, finish Breaking Bad on Netflix, watch paint dry, and then start on reflecting on the Student Leadership lessons. Given that you all probably have non-profits to start or diseases to find cures for or Ivy League schools to get into, I wanted to keep my reflections as short and meaningful as possible.

So here it is. My Lessons Learned From the Summit:

*drumroll*

1. All the talk and holding hands and rhetoric about bearing positive change in the world is great, but nothing feels quite as good as actually doing and making a positive change in the world. That's why the Service Day at the Capitol Area Food Back was by far my favorite experience of the entire internship. While the execution of our service seemed mechanical due to our efficiency, our motivation was anything but. For three hours, packing the bags and effectively serving our community were the only things we cared about. Our common goal and shared vision made us work efficiently as a system.
2. There are people way smarter and more driven than you even within the microcosm of the Student Leaders program. There are people who think that you are way smarter and more driven than them. There are people who have both of those sentiments. But the central issue is not whether someone is smarter or more successful than anyone else. We, as Student Leaders, have a vision for a better world that we want to create in the future and we manifested it in different ways through our volunteer experience and non-profit work. The warrant behind a world being peaceful or economically stable is that all factors and elements within our system are working together cohesively. If we apply that same principle towards our service, then we realize why buzzwords like "diversity" and "teamwork" are actually really important in a non-profit or even business setting. We have to work together, not apart.
3. Nobody really knows what the Technology Student Association (TSA) is. This is a problem. It's okay; I will proselytize you all to join [or start a chapter of] TSA over time!
4. Community service or working to serve the greater good should never, ever be a political issue. I'm conservative, you're liberal. I may be a Republican, you may be a Democrat. We may have deep, fundamentally different opinions on social, economic, and political issues. But what brings us together? Our focus on the lowest common denominator: humanity. 
5. The richest man in the world is not the man with the most, but the man who needs the least. At the very least, we are all so emotionally rich that we invest so much more into our communities selflessly than most others do. It is why you're a Student Leader. The leaders of today trust us to be the leaders of tomorrow.

Now don't those lessons just make you want to smile? Give yourself a pat on the back? Feel warm and fuzzy inside?

Good. But don't feel complacent for too long. We've got a world to change. Let's go do it Student Leaders.

My First Week of Work!

Having now been removed from the 2013 Bank of America Student Leaders Conference in Washington for a bit over a week, and having spent some time back in the “real world” of computer screens and cubicles, I feel that now is an appropriate time to reflect on my experiences both at work and at the conference.  First, though, let me introduce myself.  My name is Christopher Ackerman and I have been a resident of a small suburb of Boston, Massachusetts for my entire life.  In the fall, I will be attending Boston College with the intent of majoring in Biology.  During high school, I involved myself in myriad volunteer opportunities, ranging from weekly appearances as an educator at the Museum of Science in Boston, to helping organize a three-day leadership conference with the Massachusetts Youth Leadership Foundation.  This summer, I am working at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston, serving in three distinct roles: on Mondays and Tuesdays, I am at the main office in downtown Boston, helping out the development team; Wednesdays and Thursdays are spent at the Charlestown Boys and Girls Club (BGCB has eleven) doing more office work; and Fridays I spend at the same club, but I interact directly with the members.  Phew, what a mouthful!  Anyway, let me begin with my first week of work.

After a brief meet-and-greet with my fellow Bank of America Student Leaders from Boston and our employers, I spent a month and a half waiting to start work.  My supervisor/director/boss, Katie Dunphy, emailed me a few weeks before I started work to let me know where and when to show up for my first day.  And so, on the first day of July, I sprang out of bed bright and early and managed to make it to work on time.  Granted, this feat is not nearly so laudable when paired with the knowledge that my day began at 10:30 in a coffee shop.  Joelle, another Student Leader working at BGCB, and I met with our supervisors, Katie and Liz, to go over our work for the summer.  We had an informal meeting over breakfast and spent the rest of the day in a much more formal new-hire orientation.  I left with an understanding, albeit a modest one, of BGCB’s organization and mission.  Tuesday, much like its predecessor, began with an eager Chris bounding out of bed, rushing to the train station, and showing up at work on time: no breakfast today, though; I arrived at my building promptly at 8:15, only to realize that I had forgotten my keys.  The next half hour was spent sitting outside dejectedly while I waited for a fellow employee to show up and let me in.  Quarter of nine, time to start work!  Except that Katie had told me to show up at ten, and apparently being over an hour early meant I got to spend time catching up on my reading.  As ten rolled around, I began my first “real” day of work.  Ms. Dunphy had me modify some thank-you letters, and I was able to speak to Ryan about the grant-writing process and how to create a grant report.  My modest understanding of the organization was growing, and with it a sense of purpose and value for my work. 

Wednesday was my first day out of the office.  I showed up at the Charlestown Boys and Girls Club at ten, drenched in sweat and ready to start my day.  Mr. Nash, the executive director at Charlestown, kindly gave me a tour and outlined some of the projects he had for me for the summer.  I spent the day creating a master schedule for the club (it is divided into two sections: one for the younger group and the other for teens) and reviewing the Parents Handbook.  Even though the club was nearly empty, it was interesting to see concrete evidence of the development team’s efforts.  Many of the rooms I saw had plaques on them.  I am sure that many of you have seen plaques in buildings before, plaques commemorating the generous donations by so-and-so corporation, etc.  For the first time, though, I had a greater appreciation for these small symbols of philanthropy.  They represented more than just words on a wall; these plaques were the results of hard work on the part of Katie and the rest of the development team to make it possible for BGCB to serve the community.  And, for the first time, I understood that philanthropy is more than just the act of writing a check; by writing a check, the BGCB donors created a music room where members of the Charlestown Club produced their own record and a games room where children played four-square and billiards, ran around with Frisbees, and caused a ruckus.  More than just a place for fun and games, though, the Charlestown Club represented a safe haven for these kids, many of whom came from disadvantaged neighborhoods around the city and only got opportunities to produce music, or play pool because of BGCB. 

Friday was my first day with club members, and despite my different assignment, it had a very similar impact on me as Wednesday.  I was able to speak to some of the members who were there and play games with them.  In the morning, I watched as one of the youngest kids (I can’t remember if he was five or six) played four-square with the pre-teens and repeatedly got himself out.  Instead of laughing or being mean to him, the older members pretended not to notice and let him play on, an act of kindness rewarded by smiles from the young boy.  Before my time with the Boys and Girls Club, I worked at a different summer camp.  Our mornings were typically punctuated by impatient screams while children waited to play board games, or emphatic exclamations about how, “[Insert-name-here] is cheating!” and, “It’s not fair!”  I saw, for the first time, how a melting pot of club members from different social, racial, economic, and generational (BGCB employs older members of the club as staff for the summer programs) backgrounds were able to come together and coexist not only in peace, but in prosperity.  I had anticipated fighting and screaming, but I was met with obedience and appreciation.  These kids, many of whom were underprivileged, were kind, courteous, and helpful.  Whenever I became hopelessly lost, they would point me in the right direction.  The other staff were patient and helped out when I was confused about the goings-on of the clubs.  At the end of the day (my first full shift), I was tired and, again, sweaty, but at the same time energized and enthusiastic about my work. 

When first informed about the different roles I would have at work, I was both apprehensive and apprehensive.  No, that is not a typo; the thought of working with children and bouncing around from desk-jockey to counselor scared me senseless.  I was positively terrified that I would be so busy trying to figure out where I fit in that I would fail miserably at all of my different tasks.  In retrospect, though, I should have been apprehensive and excited.  Experiencing different parts of the organization allowed me to truly understand and value its contribution to the members at all levels.  Without seeing the facilities that the development team helps to fund, the donations that show up in our daily check logs would just be numbers on a page.  On the other hand, without knowing how hard it is to raise money and fund the programs offered by clubs, it would be easy to under-appreciate the work done by BGCB.  Last year, we served over 15,000 of Boston’s youth.  I was warned about misquoting the following statistic, so take it with a grain of salt, but I was told at orientation that 40% of crimes involving a gun in Boston occurred within a mile of a Boys and Girls Club.  Despite the veracity of that statistic (not that it isn’t true, but the actual number may be off), the sentiment remains: BGCB is dedicated to serving members of the community who are most at-risk and establishes clubs in neighborhoods where violent crime is a serious issue.  That being said, working with the kids on Friday allowed me to gain an appreciation for the “why” behind the rest of my work.  Fundraising is great, but it can be hard to appreciate the donations for their impact on the community.  Seeing club members in a warm, welcoming, safe environment made the rest of my job “click”.  Suddenly, time spent staring at a computer screen felt connected and purposeful.  When I was younger, my parents sent me off to summer camp or hired a nanny as they saw fit, but this is not an option for everybody.  Seeing these children experiencing an awesome program funded primarily through philanthropy made me understand why it is important for everyone to get involved.  Philanthropy became more than just a social obligation; while I had volunteered before for school, experience, or because my friends goaded me into it, I now understood that non-profits exist to serve communities that can benefit from their presence, not just because somebody created them on a whim.

The Internship

The internship assigned to each student is an integral part of the Student Leader Experience.
Students will work with a nonprofit employeer for 7 weeks, getting paid by Bank of America. In my particular region, the pay is $10 per hour, which is above the minimum wage by quite a bit. However, in other markets, where, locally, the minimum wage is $14.50, Bank of America paid Student Leaders $14.50 an hour.
Students work with their nonprofit for 35 hours a week. Students are also paid during the week that they go to Washington DC, for a 35 hour week.
Internships vary by markets.
Some Student Leaders I spoke with, all worked at the same nonprofit with other Leaders from their market.
However, in my market, each student has an individual nonprofit employeer.
My particular internship was perfect for me! I work at Ranken Jordan, a pediatric specialty hospital for medically challenged kids. It's a very positive enviorment that gives me a first hand look into the inter-workings of a business.
Other students in my market report that they're also very happy with their internships. Each student is placed at a nonprofit that fits their interests.
When speaking with other Student Leaders from around the country, I noticed that three of the most common nonprofits that students tended to intern with were YMCA, YWCA and The Boys and Girls Club.
However, there were several other nonprofits in the mix, both local and national organizations, like United Way, The International Institute and so forth.
One of the best parts about being selected as a Student Leader is the work experience you'll gain during your internship. It's absolutely essential to students who are considering various career paths or planning to apply for jobs in the future.
As my internship is coming to a close, I know that I will miss all the wonderful and helpful people I have encountered along the way. I'm extremely grateful to Bank of America for giving me this amazing experience and to my nonprofit host, Ranken Jordan, for making sure I had a great learning experience ans an intern. I know I'll definitely be returning to Ranken Jordan as a volunteer! :)

What To Expect From Summit Week

Oh, Summit Week, where do I begin?
First off, you'll make new friends. TONS of new friends. And you'll be depressed at the end of the week because you miss all your new friends so much. Trust me!
I'm not an overly social person, (actually, I'm the kid who eats lunch in the library because I'm too shy to eat with the other kids) but I made more friends than I can count!! We shared inside jokes, TONS of laughter, and by the end of the week I had totally lost my shyness. The Summit Week is an amazing, enthusiastic week that will keep you on your feet and it's totally impossible not to fall in love with all the people around you who are so pumped up about life and changing society for the better. 
So, I'm warning you, you'll make TONS of friends during Summit Week.
You'll also discover new things about yourself, new ways of improving your leadership skills and how to make a difference in your community.
You'll meet lots of inspirational people. During my summit week, I had the honor of meeting one of my personal heros, famed Pulitzer-prize winning photographer David Kennerly. For me, this was monumental, since my main hobby is shooting & developing old black and white 35mm film. Getting the chance to hear, speak with and hang out with such an iconic photographer was a dream come true for me.
We also met a lot of big names in the nonprofit industry, and the likes of Barbra Bush (daughter to George W. Bush.)
We had seminars to improve ourselves, seminars about how to improve our communities seminars about how to improve America, and seminars on how to improve international affairs.
You'll get several opportunties to tour DC, and plenty of time to visit almost any museum you'd like.
Mock Congress was my FAVORITE part!! :) We got to role play and experience first-hand what it's like to be a congress-person. We did this the night before meeting our real-life representatives in Congress.
Being so close to government was really amazing!! It's definitely not something I'm ever going to forget.
During Summit Week, you have a close-knit group of people, about 25, called your "workshop." This workshop becomes your Student Leader family. I'm alot closer to some of the people in my workshop family than I am to people in my own school. We laughed, we cried, we shared our deepest secrets, fears and hopes.
You'll be tired after Summit Week and don't expect to have tons of free time. You have about an hour of free time every night, but you won't want to go to sleep. Every single night, I went down to the Student Lounge & played board games with some other Student Leaders and it was SO much fun.
At the end of Summit Week there's a big dinner and a dance. You'll party it out and probably cry a little and hug a lot. After all, it's your last night.
One thing I can promise you is that you'll leave Summit Week with a LOT more people in your phone contacts. The biggest part of Summit Week is the networking factor. You'll want to stay in touch with all your new friends.
Oh, and don't worry, the food is incredible. Literally, you have enough to feed a small army, some of the BEST desserts I've ever tasted and enough variety for all religions/creeds/tastes/lifestyles.
You won't go hungry, they feed you five times a day. Oh, and there's a constant suppy of FREE caffiene, if you're worried about that.
No, you won't be able to use the pool, but during my summit week, you were allowed to workout in a group & go to the park in the morning if you so chose.
Summit Week is all about Serve, Inspire, & Change. Thanks to Bank of America, those words will forever be engraved on my heart. <3

-Mary Di Valerio

Dear Future Student Leaders Applicants

Dear Future Student Leader,
You're brave. You're lucky. And you might just be worth a million bucks.
Did you know that Bank of America spends over a million dollars on it's Student Leader program each year?
If they're willing to drop one million dollars on you, that means they must think you're pretty great.
To those of you applying, I have a few tips:
1) Be true to yourself! As my good friend Ibriham said on this blog a few post ago, "Make your application a clone of yourself." Be sincere! Bank of America is trying to find people who are geninue and real.
2) Edit! Make sure you're not writing your application in "text-speak." I student-aid occasionally, and you'd be suprised how many students slip up in a major paper with phrases like "LOL and BTW."
3) Don't be too stuffy! While you DO have to edit, again, make sure that you're speaking in your own voice. Smiley faces are okay! :) My application was filled with them.
4) Make sure to include all your volunteer hours. Volunteering is a big part of getting selected. Make sure you remember to include instances you've volunteered at your church, your school, even just helping your elderly neighbor rake! Every little bit makes a difference.
5) Explain how your work in the community has impacted YOU! Don't just give a laundry list of "I did this. I did that." Tell Bank of America how volunteering & community service made you FEEL. Tell them how it affected you. They care about YOU, and YOUR potential as a leader, not nessesarily the exact times and dates that you worked at church camp.
6) Use your words wisely, but don't cut your application short. When I applied, there was a word limit. I tried to utilze that word limit to the best of my ability and make sure I gave a full and accurate picture of who I was to the reader.
7) Cross your fingers and hope for the best. The Student Leader program is extremely competetive! Don't feel bad if you're rejected. If you can, try again next year! There's only so many spots and it's probably extremely difficult to chose from so many stellar applications.

The first step to being a Bank of America Student Leader is applying. Good luck, and may the odds be EVER in your favor. :)

-Mary Di Valerio
Student Leader 2013

A Life-Changing Experience

Sitting on my bed this Monday night all I can think of is that just a week ago I was finishing up the first day of one of the most exciting weeks. A week where I would meet a group of the most ambitious students ever and along with them grow as a person. A week like Izzy Vasquez said where I would go from wondering "who am I?" to knowing that "this is who I am".

It was a jam-packed week where I'm pretty sure nobody got enough sleep, but in the end it was a week worth the effort. From seeing the sights of Washington D.C. and learning about the figures that shaped the free world we live in today, speaking with local senators and representatives, and volunteering our time at the Capitol Area food bank we were constantly learning, growing and bonding.

What really made the week special though was the connections we made. With 219 other student leader's with very similar goals and life ambitions as you, coming together, wanting to make a difference it is a great opportunity to make lifelong friends and connections. We got to truly learn from each other, whether it be through workshops or our "down-time" during bus rides, everyone had something to say or a story to share. I remember writing on my application that, "I hoped to meet people that shared the same passion and drive that I do, but more importantly, people that work harder than me and people who inspire me to work harder for a cause," and those are exactly the people I came across and befriended at the summit.

This is the very reason why I find that my experience was life-changing, for after all you learn more from your peers than anyone else, and these peers are ones that WILL make a difference. They are the true embodiment of the three words SERVE. INSPIRE. CHANGE. and for that they are student leaders.

~Dhruti Tummalapalli (Sacramento)

No New Friends

I think just like everyone else, i am going through some serious withdrawals right now.

I have been in depression mode since Saturday morning. Let me not even get into that excruciating train ride home. That ride was a setup!!!

The whole 'No New Friends' theme was a motto that i've been following since forever -- i meant since Drake came out with it like 3 months ago haha.

But yeah... i broke that motto last week. I tried so hard to be a cool guy at the beginning of the summit but you guys made me realize that i am not that kind of person.  I am a cornball.  A huge one too.

I thought it was really weird that everyone kept smiling at me, especially since people don't really smile at each other where i'm from.  If a stranger smiles at you here, it either means that they're plotting something against you, or they want to fight you.

Being around so many happy people helped me realize that there is MUCH MORE to life than a mean mug.

But then again, maybe you guys aren't really new friends.  Maybe you guys are the type of crowd that i am made for. Maybe you guys are the kind of people that actually understand my sense of humor, and how i decide to approach things.  It just sucks that it took a month close to the 17th year of my life to actually discover you guys.  But i guess it was worth the wait because last week was a life changing week.

I never would've thought that i could learn and grow in such a short period of time.

I came. I served. I inspired... oh, and i DEFINITELY changed!

It was all thanks to meeting you beautiful people.

                                                       DOCTOR IBRAHIM OUT!!!!!

Lessons Learned During Summit Week

It’s a Monday morning and I’m experiencing summit withdrawal. Being with so many enthusiastic teenagers was one of the most incredible experiences of my high school career. When I got back, my dad asked me if anything was wrong because I was so quiet. I gave a short explanation about how worn out and tired I was, but in reality, I was missing all the incredible friends I made last week. At this time, last week, I was on an airplane on my way to DC, about ready to have one of the best adventures of my life.

I remember not knowing what to expect, not knowing what would come of that week. When people asked me ahead of time what I’d be doing in DC, I explained that I had no idea! I knew, vaguely, that I’d be given leadership training and that I’d be able to meet some really incredible folks, but I had no idea just HOW incredible they’d be.

Meeting the other Student Leaders was the best part about Summit Week. It was absolutely humbling to hear their stories. People from across the country, starting non-profit, raising thousands of dollars for charity, doing hundreds of hours of volunteer work, and so on.

I learned many, many things during that short week. Here are just a few:

1)      Everyone has a story. You just need to take the time to listen. At summit week, it was great, because we were all able to introduce ourselves and learn about others. I cried several times hearing the inspirational paths that many of the teens took to leadership.

2)      Don’t judge people on appearance. I’m not a racist individual, but being brought up in a primarily white community, going to school and church with primarily white individual’s means that before the summit, I had a rather limited world view in terms of race and culture. My understanding and insight into cultures and races other than mine were limited to pop culture references from hip hop artists and stereotypes delivered by the media. In my lifetime, I’ve never had a friendship with a Hispanic or African American, or even Asian individual, not because I am racist, but because before the summit, I didn’t truly know anyone who identified with a minority group. Going to a leadership conference so diverse was truly incredible. I was able to expand my worldview and get a broader perspective on American culture, far more accurate than any conclusions one would draw from a hip-hop song.

3)      Believe in yourself. If a company is willing to invest over a million dollars on a small group of about 200 kids, then those kids are seriously worth something. Don’t ever give up. You’re valuable. Valuable because of who you are and your potential to impact society in a positive way.

4)      It’s not all about you. Reach out and help your community. You should be empowered to go out and make a difference. While in DC, I read a quote on the MLK monument and it said “Make a career of humanity.” It’s not all about making a six-figure paying job. It SHOULD be about helping others. Being at the leadership conference was inspiring because of how unselfish the Student Leaders were and how so many of them had already created nonprofits.

- Mary Di Valerio

Opportunities

American poet Ralph Waldo once said, “America is another name for opportunity”, words that I certainly agree with. As an immigrant from the Dominican Republic, I came to the United Stated looking for opportunities, a higher level of education, and a solution to my family’s critical economic situation. I have been lucky enough to count with the support of my family, new and old friends, and my community. However, what I consider most important is how many opportunities have crossed my way ever since I arrived to Massachusetts two years ago.

The Bank of America Student Leaders program was something I craved to be part of.  Simply reading the description and seeing how many things I would gain by being part of the program had me anxious. Of course, not even in a million years did I think I would be accepted. As confident as I am of my abilities, there is always room for doubt. Surprisingly, one Wednesday morning I got the call everybody wants to receive. “Congrats, we want to inform you have been selected for the Bank of America Student Leaders Program.”

It is Saturday night, and I just woke up from a long nap (four hours to be exact) after returning to Boston from the BofA Summit Week in Washington, DC. If something I have to say about my stay in Washington is that it was amazing. Close Up and Bank of America provide student leaders with a week-long, full of activities schedule. Going to Capitol Hill, having heated debates while learning about the most controversial issues in America, and being able to meet and make connections with important people in our nation are just some of the highlights of the program. Of course, eating tons of good food, meeting students from across the nation, and visiting most monuments in DC make the experience more perfect. (Let’s not forget about the paid internships that are waiting for us back home). Even though we lacked hours of sleep, I’m glad that I had the opportunity to be part of such a great experience.

I remember what I wrote in one of my essays for the online application, “Before heading to college, I wish to encounter new experiences that can better prepare me for the outer world. Not only am I looking to improve myself personally, but I also desire to gain new qualities that can contribute to the new persona I want to create. I believe that the Student Leader Program will provide me with the necessary tools to meet my goals during the summer.” You may be wondering if I accomplished my goals, and the answer is yes.

My advice to all interested applicants, apply. Don’t be afraid of the outcome. It is better to try and fail than never trying at all. The Student Leaders program is an amazing opportunity to learn about our nation and create connections with people that might help us in the future.

Thanks Bank of America for such a great opportunity. Certainly, my decision of immigrating to the U.S. is paying off. I will keep Serving, Changing, and Inspiring. 

-Liliana Almonte

(The girl with the “extravagant accent”)

What it takes to be a Student Leader

So it's Sunday, July 7th, 2013... and i'm sitting in my room, staring at the bags that i had just finished packing for the leadership summit week after days of serious procrastination. I think i can use some help for that.

Back to the topic now (Like i was on topic to begin with haha).

When i began my application for the student leaders program, i had one particular goal, which was to personalize my application as much as i could.  I was never the kind of person to take things personally when my application gets rejected because i was not the one who got rejected (my application did.)

As much as i love to help others, the egoistic character in me wouldn't ask for any help, which helped shape the kind of approach that i took towards the application.  I basically did everything on my own and apart from the two teachers that gave me a letter of recommendation, nobody else knew that i applied to the program (not even my parents.)

I live in a community where there's no heroes.  Everyone is so consumed with the things that aren't very important that they forget about the people that are less fortunate. I hear a lot of people say that the community is only getting worse but how can they expect for it to get better when they only care for their own interests. If we're all being selfish and living shallow, there's no way that we're going to swim.

That was basically the theme for all of my essays.  I used each essay to describe how i'm working towards changing the mindset of the people around me, and the results that i hope to witness in my lifetime.

Of course, holding a leadership position in a couple of clubs at school and community service outside of school might have helped me out -- but i don't think they amount to the amount of passion that i put into my essays.

The last essay question was about who inspired me the most (something like that.)  I laughed a little bit when i read that question because i knew what i was about to write sounds ridiculous, but it is full of honesty.  A normal person would expect me to write about my parents, a teacher, extended families, blah, blah, blah.  Instead, i wrote about my friend, Jeremiah.  I was around him a lot (especially since we spend countless hours per week trying to build a perfect robot, or arguing Chemistry problems.)

Like i mentioned before, i have an ego -- and that makes my ultimate respect for a person very hard to be earned.  I respect Jeremiah's worth ethic, and that was why i learned from him.  As much as it is a sin to do bad things, it would be a sin for me to not confess how i was inspired by him and how i decided to get on the quest of being a better version of me (I just didn't confess it to him.)  Instead i confessed it to a person that i don't know from a can of paint, and reads a ton of applications like mine.

My essays lacked a grownup editing like from teachers, mentors, and parents, but one thing that they didn't lack at any bit was honesty and passion.  I tried my best to give Bank of America a full picture of who i really am, and why i think i should be chosen for the program, and i must say... it took me a long way. *dusts shoulder off

It doesn't matter what kind of grades you get in school, or if you're a valedictorian candidate.  What really matters is how well you are able to portray yourself to the reviewer of your application, and how well you are able to let them feel your passion.

Make the application a clone of yourself (don't take that literally.)

Make Bank of America know who you are, and make them love who you are.

Good luck to you, and may the odds forever be in your favor (hahahahaha)

                                               - IBRAHIM OUT!!!

What It Takes To Be A Student Leader

By Sri Nimmagadda

Luck.

What it Takes to be a Student Leader

When I first got the call that I had been accepted into the Student Leader program, I jumped up and down in my kitchen and told the lady in charge of my market "Ohmygoodness THANK you! I'm so excited! PRAISE THE LORD."

Looking back, I think I was pretty shocked that I had actually made it in. The teacher who had suggested that I apply told me that it was VERY competitive and I might not make it, but to give it my very best shot.

Making it into the program was a dream come true! I've never done something like this before and it's a brand new experience that I'm thrilled to get under my belt.

I don't go to a competitive private school that will make college admission officers swoon. I don't do 2000+ hours of community service. I'm not athletic or musical. I don't have a 4.0.

At the orientation for the St. Louis market, we were asked "Why do you think we were chosen?"

I was the first to respond and the pressure was on. Hundreds of thoughts were racing through my mind.

"Why was I chosen? .... um...."

I desperately wished that I could string together something substantial. Instead, I went for the cop-out and gave a quick explanation about my work teaching English in a third world country.

Although my summer in Peru working in orphanages was an incredible experience, mentally, I knew that's not why I was chosen.

I don't have a 4.0. I don't participate in many extra-curricular activities. But there is one thing that separates me.

I have passion. Fiery, red-hot passion. I care about what I do and I do it well. In my application, I spoke about my passion for the human trafficking issue. I wrote about how outraged I was that 80% of the country doesn't know anything about it and how insane it was that there are more humans enslaved today that at any other point in human history. I spoke about my undying love for mock trial, and how I know, deep-down, that my calling is in the legal field, defending those who can't defend themselves.

I spoke about how much I love debating and how I went to gifted education centers for elementary school students and shared my passion with them by giving week-long seminars.

I spoke about how much I love creativity and art and how my passion drove me to create a camp for little kids centered around art projects in order to raise money for Peruvian orphanages, so that they could create art too.

I spoke about how much I admired Harriet Beecher Stowe, and how she used media to move a nation and direct them to the slavery issue and how I hoped to do the same. I spoke about the one-person play I wrote about Harriet and how that play took me to nationals in the National History Day competition.

I've never been bored. I've always done SOMETHING with my time. I'm very unorthodox.

I like to lead.

Bank of America Student Leaders don't necessarily have a 4.0 GPA. That's not what the program is about.

The program is about finding students with passion. Students that care about society and want to make it a better place.

I'm futuristic. I'm a visionary. I have passion. I want to lead.

That's what it takes to be a Student Leader. 

Howdy!

My name is Ashley Gomez and I am a senior in Round Rock, Texas! I am so grateful to be selected as a Bank of America Student Leader for 2013 (: Everything that has been given to me since the start of the program is overwhelming. It's really hard to believe that I am actually going to Washington DC on an airplane! I think I will finally realize how great this opportunity is when I get to the airport Monday morning at 4:00am.

Initially I applied to be a Bank of America Student Leader knowing very little about the program. I briefly read that it offered 35 hours a week of community service and I was immediately driven to apply. My passion is serving others and I had found an outlet to do just that. When I was accepted into the program I was shocked to find out that I was actually going to be paid. When I worked with those children for three weeks I had some of the greatest moments in my life. When I received that first paycheck I still couldn't believe they were paying me to have fun.

In the Austin Market the interns are have the huge honor to work with a nonprofit called 'Communities In Schools'. CIS works with 'at-risk', under-privileged, high poverty schools in Central Texas. Their focus is to  combat the pressure of social issues in attempt to end the drop out epidemic. I respect this company and it's true passion in educational reform and development. Working with the ASPIRE camp was truly a blessing. Three of the five of us were able to plan, develop, and implement  themed lesson plans for a three week summer camp. The stories and memories shared with these children will stick with me for the rest of my life.
I am absolutely ecstatic to continue this wonderful  journey with all the other markets in the nation.

Third Week In, Then Off to D.C. Baby!

Hey BoA Student Leaders/Interns,

My name is Matthew Argame and I'm from the Orange County Market! So far, three weeks have gone by, and the amount of material I learned from my work expericence is incredible! I started off working with the general manager where I learned how to budget the millions of dollars that go in and out of the non-profit, which is Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County. I then had the opportunity to work with the Product Resources Department, Programs Department, Agency Relations Department, etc. etc. The hands on experience in a non profit is truly amazing and the mission at SHFBOC, which is to end hunger in OC, makes it a blessing to be able to work for them. When I get back from D.C., I will be able to work side by side with the CFO and CEO and learn about how they keep everything running and improving. How's it going at your job? What's your non-profit's misson? I'd love to hear from ya.

See you all next week!
Matthew D. B. Argame

Dressing For Sucess

My name is Mary Di Valerio and I'm absolutely thrilled  and honored to be a Bank of America Student Leader. In the St. Louis Market alone, it's obvious to me that the Bank of America Student Leaders are truly the cream of the crop. It's both inspiring and humbling to hear about the incredible work they've been doing in their community.

Being a Bank of America Student Leader is great, but you've got to dress to fit the part! When I first found out we'd be going to DC, the first thing that popped into my mind was "Fabulous! I've got an excuse to go shopping! :)"

When you're shaking hands with Senators, it's important to dress in a fashion that shows respect for yourself and the people you're meeting. It's always best to err on the conservative side.

Personally, I take style tips from classic beauties like Jackie O. and Audrey Hepburn. Their iconic style was modest and tailored. I'm taking the same approach in regards to my wardrobe for the upcoming DC trip.

The great thing about living in 2013 is that social media makes figuring out dress code a breeze! Using Facebook, I'm able to connect with other Student Leaders and collaborate on what we'll be wearing for various events.

Fashion isn't my primary concern. Modesty, however is. I've always had fun with my outfits when dressing for school and hanging out with friends. But, when you're representing your market and networking with tomorrow’s leaders, you've got to dress like a leader!

I think it'd be interesting if my fellow lady (and gentlemen) blog contributors would include pictures of their outfits for various days, simply as a resource for future BoA leaders to use when packing for the DC trip.

If we remember one thing and one thing only in regards to packing, it's this - "First impressions are everything, so dress for success!" 

Bank of America Student Leaders of 2013

Hello readers! To provide an informative tool for all past, current, and future Student Leader interns, the Cohort of 2013 would like to introduce a blog featuring contributors from all the markets. We invite you to submit posts and ask any questions regarding the program!