A Chula Vistan is among five San Diego student leaders on their way to join 200 others in Washington, D.C. for a Student Leadership Summit in mid-July.
The South Bay participant is Elena Hoffman, who graduated from High Tech High and will be going to the University of Pennsylvania.
“I’m really looking forward to attending the upcoming Bank of America Student Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. and networking with other students from around the country,” said Hoffman, who will be attending The University of Pennsylvania this Fall “I’m also enjoying the internship at Community HousingWorks helping student residents improve their literacy skills as well as learn how a non-profit works and building my leadership skills.”
Hoffman and her colleagues are participants in Community HousingWorks (CHW), a nonprofit that builds and owns affordable apartment communities in California and provides programs to support resident success, including families.
The student leaders will assist in CHW’s new e-learning program, helping student residents improve their reading skills, and in enhancing CHW’s after-school program. The student leaders will also have the opportunity to shadow CHW staff and learn the ins and outs of working for a nonprofit.
“We are excited to partner with Bank of America in our eighth year participating in the Student Leaders program,” said Jorge Riquelme, Senior Vice President of Community HousingWorks’ Achieve Programs. “Each year, these exceptional high school students bring their passion and individual skills to CHW, helping us deepen our impact and helping them become strong leaders.”
Hoffman and the other four high school grads are joining a network of more than 55 student alumni from San Diego and an alumni cohort of more than 2,200 student leaders across the country at the July 10-15 for a Student Leadership Summit. The Summit’s purpose is to discuss how to build a more diverse and inclusive society.
One summit aim is for participants to gain a better understanding of how cross-sector collaboration creates community impact, and become part of a network of community leaders that will support their citizenship and engagement.
The Summit program sending San Diego students to our nation’s capital is sponsored by Bank of America. The bank’s program offers young people, who are engaged community citizens, an opportunity to build their workforce and leadership skills through a paid summer internship at Community HousingWorks.
Following their initial eight-week internships, the students then participate in the Washington, D.C. Student Leadership Summit.
Rick Bregman, San Diego market president, Bank of America, explained the program’s significance.
“Internship opportunities help teens build the skills they need to establish a career and get on a path toward financial stability,” Bregman said “Helping youth access resources and skills that prepare them for future success is an important part of our efforts to address the underlying issues related to economic mobility as we work to create a thriving and diverse San Diego economy.”
Bregman pointed out young people are “at-risk of being left behind and not finding a meaningful job in today’s competitive workforce.”
With local youth unemployment rates at 24.8 percent, Bregman noted student-leading high school juniors and seniors participating in summer employment “helps develop their workforce skills and supports their long-term financial success, in turn helping the economic progress of San Diego.”
