8 THE QUEENS COURIER • AUGUST 6, 2020 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Queens Bank of America Student Leaders take
part in virtual summer Youth Leadership Program
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
cmohamed@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Two distinguished Queens students
are developing new skills
to positively aff ect their communities
in Bank of America’s
Student Leaders six-week summer
internship program.
Jahin Rahman, 17, is a Queens
Village resident and rising senior
at the Academy of American
Studies, while Rae Jeong, 17,
is a Bayside resident and rising
senior at Stuyvesant High
School.
Rahman and Jeong are among
fi ve New York City high school
students selected to participate
in the program that continues
to show students the vital role
that nonprofi ts play in advancing
community health, the need
for public private partnerships to
advance social change, and the
importance of building fi nancial
acumen.
Th is year, due to COVID-19,
the Bank of America Student
Leaders program adapted to
a virtual format this summer,
where students developed digital
communications campaigns,
participated in grant application
processes, and created strategic
plans for fundraising post-COVID
19.
Jeong and Rahman have been
working remotely with the
YMCA of Greater New York on
programs that empower youth,
improve health and strengthen
the community.
“At the YMCA Greater New
York we believe that lasting personal
and social change can only
come about when we all work
together to invest in our youth,
our neighbors and our communities,”
said Sharon Greenberger,
president and CEO, YMCA of
Greater New York.
Rahman said the program has
been “a very organized and productive
experience overall —
especially learning how to make
a nonprofi t.”
Rahman is the founder of a
nonprofit student-led organization,
Efforts in Youth
Development Bangladesh in
New York City and Dhaka, the
capital of Bangladesh.Th e team
provides quality education to
at-risk youth in Bangladesh by
developing paths toward social
sustainability for the next generation.
EYDB has built a library
and computer lab, established
a literacy program, and donated
clothing to benefi t children
from underserved communities
in Bangladesh.Th is summer,
Rahman is also partnering with
Base For Girls to distribute 500
menstrual product kits to girls in
Bangladesh, and conduct menstrual
hygiene and reproductive
health classes.
“I’m very active in my community
and I like to do things
to help people,” Rahman said.
“I wanted to do something over
the summer that was committed
to service and Bank of America
came out at the top of the list.”
For Jeong, the decision to participate
in the program was not
only based on his community
involvement, but also the lack
of diversity at Stuyvesant High
School.
“Th ey’ve been under fi re for
their diversity, where a small
portion of the class is African-
American and a lack of inclusion
of other races,” Jeong said.
“It means a lot to me tackle these
underlying causes — going back
to a community and neighborhood
level, and systemic discrimination
that is impacting
education.”
Jeong’s civil service began
aft er going on a church mission
trip to the Dominican Republic,
where he saw what “real poverty
looked like: struggle and silence.”
As he became involved in writing
for the school newspaper
and joined the debate team, he
learned about certain issues that
prompted him to take action.
Last November, Jeong and
his friends founded an educational
organization called
Young Debaters, which provides
debate resources — webinars
and coaching sessions — for
thousands of students across the
country and the world.
To help tackle food insecurity
during the COVID-19 pandemic,
Jeong founded Mouth Peas,
where volunteers help deliver
groceries to people who are
unable to go to the grocery store.
“I asked why do I have to wait
until the government solves
this?” Jeong said. “I try to do as
much community service as I
could but I didn’t have the organization,
needs, or mentorship
to lead change in a community.”
And that’s when Jeong discovered
the Bank of America
Student Leadership program
that seemed like the perfect
launch pad to take the next steps
in benefi tting his career.
“It taught me a lot of things,
for example, how a nonprofit
organization works and the
basics. Th ey did an excellent job
teaching us that — whether it be
webinar, livestream or presentations.
It gave me a really good
picture of how community service
works in the real world,”
Jeong said.
Bringing students from across
the country together in order
to discuss the role of citizenship
and how cross sector collaboration
creates community
impact is a core component
of the Student Leaders program.
Th is year, 300 students
gathered virtually for the Young
America Together at Home program,
delivered by the Close Up
Foundation, which included a
discussion of fi nding one’s voice
in order to eff ect change and
pressing policy issues such as the
economy, healthcare, the environment
and immigration.
Jeong and Rahman engaged in
conversations focused on social
justice, civil rights and how to
build a more diverse and inclusive
society. Th ey also had the opportunity
to gain a better understanding
of their personal fi nances
through Better Money Habits,
Bank of America’s fi nancial wellness
and education platform.
Th e students were also recognized
with a $5,000 stipend for
their community achievements.
Now in its 17th year, the
Student Leaders program has
seen participants go on to graduate
from Ivy League universities,
start careers in fi elds as varied
as social work, marketing
and banking, and continue to be
leaders in their communities.
Additionally, Student Leaders,
Bank of America invests in
approximately 3,000 summer
jobs for young people across
the nation through partnerships
with nonprofi ts. In New
York City, the bank supports 100
jobs through the Fund for Public
Schools and their CTE Summer
Scholars program, which supports
students in Career and
Technical Education high
schools by providing work readiness
training, certifi cations and
internships.
“Bank of America is grateful
for our continued partnership
with the YMCA of Greater New
York as we collectively navigate
the challenges our communities
face and remain committed to
supporting young people from
across New York City,” said Anne
Walker, New York City market
president for Bank of America.
“By connecting our Student
Leaders to jobs, skills-building
and leadership development
opportunities, we are providing
them with the tools necessary to
be agents of change, a powerful
investment in the future of our
communities.”
Photo courtesy of Bank of America
Bank of America Student Leaders Jahin Rahman of Queens Village (l.) and Rae Jeong of Bayside (r.) have been working
remotely with the YMCA of Greater New York on programs that empower youth, improve health and strengthen the
community.
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