Virginia high school seniors recently spent the day shadowing bankers at Chesapeake Bank 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 is to expose students to the banking industry and provide an opportunity for the students to learn about banking, financial services and the vital role Chesapeake Bank plays in its community, reported executive vice president and senior credit officer John O’Shaughnessy.
The third Tuesday in March was declared Bank Day by the Virginia General Assembly in 1991. 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 and from those six winners an overall statewide winner will be chosen. The statewide winner will receive an additional $5,000 scholarship. There also will also be honorable mention scholarships of $1,000 each.
During their visit, the students learned about internet security, the importance of community outreach, appropriate etiquette during a job interview, the different facets of Chesapeake Financial Shares, how to build/earn credit and about consumer and personal loan processes, said O’Shaughnessy.
“Bank Day is one of the best short-term, hands-on experiences that a classroom teacher can offer their students—the opportunity to go inside the bank vault, to watch customer/bank officer 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 financial world,” said VBA president and chief executive officer Bruce Whitehurst.
“We hosted a great group of students from Lancaster High School. We wanted to offer information they can take with them as they begin to make important decisions and manage their financial futures,” said O’Shaughnessy.
“We also discussed the various ways that community banks give back to their communities through everything from small business lending to individual employee volunteer time,” he said.
