ROSELAND— A leadership program that sent teens to Washington D.C. had a lifelong impact on a Roseland teen.
Isaiah Walker, a 2016 Walter Payton High School graduate, participated in the 2016 Bank of America Student Leaders program this summer. He was one of five Chicago-area students who were accepted.
“Everything that comes after you graduate from high school is about networking, who you know, the connections you have and the relationships you build,” said Walker, 18. “This program not only helps you build relationships, but it teaches you to not burn bridges.”
The five joined more than 200 other high school students from across the country for the Bank of America Student Leadership Summit. The conference was July 10-15. The participants discussed ways to build a more diverse and inclusive society. They attended workshops to gain a better understanding of how cross-sector collaboration can create community impact.
The program also consists of a paid eight-week summer internship at a local nonprofit. Isaiah is working at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago until he leaves for college in the fall. He will major in biology at Florida A&M where he’ll be on the pre-med track.
He said he has a better understanding as to why he should keep in contact and build meaningful relationships with those he meets.
"That week [in D.C.] was about fostering relationships, meeting new people, and growing yourself as a leader," he said.
This was his third trip to Washington, but he said that traveling through the program was a new experience.
“It was just really great to go and see that this program not only really reaches so far and wide, but it recruits students of such diverse backgrounds,” he said.
Bank of America officials said the goal is to boost the city's economy.
“Early employment opportunities help teens build the skills they need to establish a career and get on a path toward financial stability,” Bank of America's Chicago Market President Paul Lambert said in a statement. “Helping youth access resources and skills that prepare them for future success is an important part of our work to address the underlying issues related to economic mobility as we work to create a thriving Chicago economy.”
Walker said his internship has equipped him with lifelong skills.
“You have to have a lot of patience working with young children,” he said, adding that to be a great leader, it’s important to have understanding and always work on improving oneself.
“Being a biology, pre-med student a lot of people have always told me it’s going to be difficult, it’s going to be hard, but I’ve learned that you have to make the best of what you have and that it is really always up to you,” Walker said.
The other four Chicago Student Leaders are:
• Remi Akintonwa, a Bronzeville resident and senior at De La Salle high School, is interning at Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago.
• Ashley Carreon, a Little Village resident and graduate of Infinity Math, Science and Technology High School, is interning at Working in the Schools (WITS).
• Shayaan Siddiqui, an Edgewater resident and senior at Nicholas Senn High School, is interning at Working in the Schools (WITS).
• Edwin Castellanos, an Aurora resident and graduate of West Aurora High School, is interning at Peoples Resource Center, Wheaton.
Bank of America Student Leaders Program will be accepting applications for the 2017 program from Oct. 31-Feb. 3.
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