Banks across Virginia hosted more than 400 high school seniors through the Bank Day Scholarship Program, a statewide effort sponsored by the Virginia Bankers Association Education Foundation and the VBA Emerging Bank Leaders.
The purpose of the program is to expose students to the banking industry and provide an opportunity for the students to learn about banking, careers in banking, financial services, and the vital role banks across Virginia play in their communities.
The third Tuesday in March was declared Bank Day by the Virginia General Assembly in 1991 and Virginia bankers are proud to host students for this important program. 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.
Throughout the program, students will have access to a Virginia banking industry resource website that houses videos, articles, and podcasts to explore and research. Banks will also be hosting students virtually and in-person over the next three weeks to discuss topics such as banking fundamentals, the importance of establishing credit, managing the student loan process, and more.
“Bank Day is one of the best short-term experiences for students—the opportunity to learn about the many services that banks offer and the ways Virginia banks support the communities they serve, and to start the networking that often leads to part-time and summer jobs, scholarships, internships, and a start on a career path in the financial industry,” said VBA President & CEO Bruce Whitehurst.
The following Virginia banks served as bank hosts for this year’s program:
- American National Bank & Trust Co.
- Bank of Botetourt
- Benchmark Community Bank
- Blue Ridge Bank
- Burke & Herbert Bank
- Chesapeake Bank
- F&M Bank
- First Bank & Trust Co.
- First Bank, Virginia
- First National Bank
- New Peoples Bank
- Oak View National Bank
- Old Point National Bank
- Pendleton Community Bank
- Powell Valley National Bank
- The Bank of Marion
- The Farmers Bank of Appomattox
- United Bank
- Village Bank
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