Bank of America Student Leader Lawrence Jia
Submitted by Janet Haney
One Fremont student just completed a unique summer internship with Junior Achievement of Northern California as part of the competitive Bank of America Student Leaders® program.
Lawrence Jia is about to begin his senior year at Irvington High School, and he and four other San Francisco and East Bay students took part in job shadows at major corporations and looked for ways to bring financial literacy education to more young people during their eight-week Junior Achievement internship. The five Bay Area Student Leaders also attended a week-long national leadership summit in Washington, D.C. with 300 other Student Leaders from around the United States.
“An aspect of the D.C. opportunity that stood out to me was the sense of unity and purpose among all the participants. Despite our diverse backgrounds and experiences, we shared a common goal of making a positive impact,” Jia said. “The workshops and sessions were incredibly informative, and I learned a lot about advocacy, leadership, and the legislative process. The trip not only broadened my understanding of civic engagement, but it also inspired me to continue working towards meaningful change in our community.”
This is the 20th year Bank of America has offered this competitive, paid intern program in San Francisco and the East Bay, with 154 local teens having been selected as Student Leaders since the program began in 2004. Bank of America’s Student Leaders program provides 300 community-minded juniors and seniors from across the country with first-hand experience developing leadership and practical workforce skills working with local nonprofits, all while earning a competitive wage.
Lawrence’s accomplishments stood out to Bank of America. For one, he founded Step Into Sports (https://www.stepintosports.org/), a service-oriented sports club that gets high school and grade school youth moving through athletics to help create a more balanced school experience. His efforts have grown to be a Fremont citywide movement that has reached over 3,000 youth, helped by hundreds of student volunteers in 2023. Due to his fluency in Mandarin, Lawrence has acted as a private tutor since seventh grade for elementary and middle school students in China on a variety of subjects. He also tutors math at Irvington on a volunteer basis. Lawrence was born in the U.S. and lived in China for the first few years of his life, and he plans to study economics in college.
“The program is absolutely fascinating. The opportunity to collaborate with 300 other like-minded peers and mentors has not only broadened my perspectives but also strengthened my commitment to making a positive impact in my community,” Jia commented. “I truly believe that programs like this are essential for empowering future generations, and I hope that every student gets a chance to experience such an inspiring journey where they are challenged, inspired, and supported in such dynamic environments.”
