Paid Summer Internships Connect North County Youth to Career Building Opportunities
ATASCADERO – Bank of America has announced that two Atascadero High School students have been selected as their inaugural San Luis Obispo 2021 Student Leaders. Emma Hanson and Oscar Perry have each started an eight-week paid summer internship experience with Habitat for Humanity, are earning $17 per hour, and have received a Chromebook as part of the internship. They are among 300 community-focused juniors and seniors from across the U.S. recognized by Bank of America’s Student Leaders program.
“Bank of America is committed to supporting young adults by connecting them to jobs, community engagement opportunities, and leadership development to help get them on the path to economic success,” said Greg Bland, president, Bank of America San Luis Obispo. “We recognize young adults are the future of our community, which is why programs like Student Leaders are one way we can provide paid opportunities for teens to gain job experience while developing a diverse pipeline of talent as they enter the local workforce.”
Inspired by her brother with autism, Hanson is heavily involved in community service to help those with special needs, including working with the Special Olympics and volunteering as a teacher’s aide with special education students at local schools. She is excited about working with Habitat to learn the inner workings of running a nonprofit.
“I am inspired to create a nonprofit that focuses on developing social skills in the disabled community because I have seen the positive impact programs like these…have had on his life, and I would like other people to have those types of opportunities as well,” Hanson said. “Everything that I have learned about how nonprofits operate will greatly benefit me as I take the next steps in forming my nonprofit.”
Perry—a Templeton resident—has always had an entrepreneurial spirit and has started multiple ventures, including a local dog-walking business, selling candy, and re-selling designer shoes online. When he’s not busy working as a registered dental assistant in his father’s dental practice, he’s interviewing other entrepreneurs for his podcast, Venture Started.
Perry’s favorite venture to date is a company he helped to start with the Atascadero High School Entrepreneurship Club this past year called Zumr Media. The company creates digital marketing videos for local businesses here in SLO County.
Perry enjoys improving his community “with video production bringing more client reach to local businesses here in SLO County will impact them, but also SLO County as a whole as those local businesses are representing SLO County.”
As part of their internships with Habitat for Humanity, both Hanson and Perry are working to re-open Habitat Restores in San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles. They are also helping with Oceana, a nine home-build in Paso Robles.
