Orange resident is ‘Student Leader’

A student from Orange was one of four New Jersey’s high school students to be named 2024 Student Leaders by Bank of America .

The students, all rising seniors, will have the opportunity to gain valuable workforce skills through an eight-week paid internship at a nonprofit organization in their immediate community, while earning competitive wages, according to a press release from the bank.

Lidia Roca, an Orange resident who attends Essex County West Caldwell School of Technology, was selected and will work at the Boys & Girls Club of Newark.

“The teens selected for this program are already having an impact at their schools but may not have had the opportunity to apply those skills to the workforce until now,” said Alberto Garofalo, president, Bank of America New Jersey. “Our hope is that they will recognize just how much of an impact they can have at these organizations and will continue to leave their mark on the community long after graduation.”

Now in its 20th year, the Student Leaders program recognizes 300 community-focused juniors and seniors from across the U.S. annually. Since 2004, Student Leaders has engaged more than 4,500 students and invested $42 million in more than 500 local nonprofits as a critical part of the bank’s long-standing effort to build pathways to economic mobility across nearly 100 markets, the release said.

“Clubs support young people by providing resources and opportunities to help fulfill their potential as engaged, empowered and compassionate members of our community,” said Susan Haspel, state director, Boys & Girls Clubs in New Jersey. “Our Student Leaders are gaining lifelong career and leadership skills, all while building meaningful connections and serving our local community.”

Roca and the other student Leaders recently returned from Bank of America’s week-long, all-expenses-paid, national leadership summit in Washington, D.C., where student leaders from across the nation learn how nonprofits, governments and businesses collaborate to meet local needs.

The other students chosen for the program were Sheguyma Bazile, of Trenton; Nikhil Mani, of Englewood; Jessica Navarro Davalos, of Paterson.

  Bank of America, Orange, student