Students shadow bankers for scholarship program: $26,000 to be distributed

More than 550 Virginia high school seniors spent March 19 shadowing bankers at 36 banks across Virginia as part of Bank Day, a statewide effort sponsored by the Virginia Bankers Association (VBA) Education Foundation and the VBA Emerging Bank Leaders.

The purpose of the day was to expose students to the banking industry, as it provided an opportunity for the students to learn about banking, financial services and the vital role banks plays in their communities.

From their experience, participating students will write an essay for the chance to win a scholarship. Six regional scholarships of $2,500 each will be awarded by the VBA, and from those six winners an overall statewide winner will be chosen. The statewide winner will receive an additional $5,000 scholarship – $7,500 in total. There will also be six honorable mention scholarships of $1,000 each. In all, twelve students statewide will receive scholarships totaling $26,000.

During their visit, the students learned about the banking industry, ways to manage their financial futures, career opportunities in banking and the ways that banks support the communities they serve.

“Bank Day is one of the best short-term, hands-on experiences for students—the opportunity to go tour the bank, to observe customer/banker interaction, to learn about the many services that banks offer, and to start the networking that often leads to part-time and summer jobs, scholarships, and a start on a career path in the banking industry,” said Bruce Whitehurst, president & CEO of the Virginia Bankers Association.

Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton commended VBA Bank Day by entering a resolution into the Congressional record on March 14, 2019.  You can view the resolution here.

The following banks hosted students for Bank Day 2019:

• Bank of Botetourt
• Bank of Clarke County
• Bank of the James
• Benchmark Community Bank
• Blue Ridge Bank
• Burke & Herbert Bank
• C&F Bank
• Carter Bank & Trust
• Chesapeake Bank
• Citizens Bank & Trust Company
• EagleBank
• Essex Bank
• F&M Bank
• First Bank & Trust Company
• First Bank, Virginia
• First National Bank
• Grundy National Bank
• New Peoples Bank
• Oak View National Bank
• Old Point National Bank
• Pendleton Community Bank
• Powell Valley National Bank
• Skyline National Bank
• Sonabank
• SunTrust Bank
• The Bank of Fincastle
• The Bank of Marion
• The Bank of Southside Virginia
• The Farmers Bank of Appomattox
• The Fauquier Bank
• TowneBank
• Touchstone Bank
• Union Bank & Trust
• United Bank
• Village Bank
• Virginia Commonwealth Bank