Next summer may feel far away, but now is the time for Santa Barbara area high school students to start thinking about internships and work experience. The 2025 application for Bank of America’s Student Leaders paid internship program is now open through Jan. 15.
 
Selected students will participate in an eight-week paid internship at a local nonprofit organization to learn first-hand about the needs of the community and the critical role nonprofits play.

Participants will attend an all-expense paid leadership summit in Washington, D.C., to learn how government, business and the nonprofit sector work together to address community needs.

Last summer, two students worked with Habitat for Humanity of Ventura County learning about local community needs while developing leadership and workplace skills and earning competitive wages.

“My experience as a Bank of America student leader showed me that networking with a group of diverse leaders with different backgrounds, cultures, identities, sexual orientations, practices and beliefs are extremely valuable and much needed,” said Carlos Gonzalez, 2023 BofA student leader of Santa Maria.

“These experiences inspired me to bring back all the networking opportunities back to my much-needed community,” he said. “I formed relationships with students who are now attending UCLA, Princeton, UPenn, Harvard, Yale, Stanford and more. I am extremely grateful to have had this opportunity.”