Bank of America brought the Year Up program to Charlotte and it’s changing students’ lives

20-year-old Trinity Simpson first heard about the Year Up program through an email blast sent to students at Central Piedmont Community College. “I was pretty skeptical at first,” he jokes. “I thought it seemed too good to be true.”

The Year Up program was said to offer six months of career training followed by placement in a six-month corporate internship. Not only that, they promised that students would earn a monthly stipend to help with basic living expenses.

Simpson, cautiously optimistic, attended an info session and, after hearing a bit more, decided it was an opportunity worth pursuing. He applied and was accepted into Charlotte’s inaugural cohort of Year Up in partnership with Bank of America.

Now over a year later, he’s accepted a full-time position working as a Data Analyst at Bank of America. His first official day was last week and even though it was from home, he was excited.

Stories like Simpson’s are why Year Up exists. The national non-profit’s mission is to close the Opportunity Divide that holds back talented, driven students from achieving stable, successful career paths. To date, they’ve served over 29,000 students across the country and they say that their alumni earn 40% more on average than similar young adults just two years after graduating from the Year Up program.

Bank of America partnered with the organization to bring them to Charlotte in 2019. The bank has had a relationship with the non-profit since 2006. They partner in other cities across the U.S. like Baltimore, Boston, and Chicago and they’ve hosted over 1,400 internships.

Charlotte’s inaugural Year Up cohort consisted of 40 students, along with Simpson.

The first six months of the year are dedicated to leadership learning and development. The students attended weekly training seminars that cover everything from soft skills like email etiquette to and how to read facial expressions in a meeting (this is a class I’d love to take), to technical skills like incident detection and data analysis. The second half of the program was a six-month internship with Bank of America, primarily in tech roles.

I interviewed three students who were part of the first-ever Year Up cohort in Charlotte, during a pandemic nonetheless. They told me all about their experiences and blew me away with their poise.

Trinity Simpson

Prior to Year Up and your internship, what were you studying at CPCC?

“I was studying IT. I chose it for the job security. The idea of always having a job was really appealing to me. And it definitely keeps you on your toes.”

How did that translate into your Bank of America internship?

“I came into a specialized financial-focused cyber role. It was super interesting. It’s really shown me from a top down aspect how much cyber security goes into to everything we do.”

How did the pandemic affect your internship?

“I was right in the swing of things and then had to switch to work from home. Bank of America set all the interns up with computers though to make the transition easier. It turned out to be pretty seamless. WebEx has been my best friend.”

Tell me about your overall experience with the Year Up program and Bank of America internship.

“Before I joined the program, I was really skeptical. But right away I really knew I was part of something different from where I’m from,” says Simpson, originally from Rutherford County.

“Anytime you can come into a place with no experience, alongside senior individuals with decades of experience, and flex your creativity and drive is really special. To see how engaged they were with me as an intern –I’ve never been part of anything so supportive.”

Lizette Gomez

What were you studying at CPCC before Year Up?

“Software engineering. There’s always growth and demand for individuals in the tech industry. I know moving forward there will always be a tech job. Plus, I liked coding.”

What was your internship with Bank of America?

“I worked in the chief data office on the private side of the bank.”

And you just accepted a full-time position?

“Yes! I officially started July 13. I’m so excited to be part of this team and community.”

How did Year Up help prepare you for the corporate world?

“The first 6 months were definitely a lot. We had classes on email etiquette, public speaking, how to build your brand. A lot of networking events. It was a great practice and built character. Having these classes and being surrounded by mentors and Year Up leaders, helped build our confidence along with our technical skills and soft skills.”

How did the pandemic affect your internship?

“In the beginning we were working in the building and then shifted to work from home. It really gave me the opportunity to build up my communication skills. It does look like we’ll be here (working from home) for quite a while so it’s a good thing to learn.”

Arrick Rithiphong

How did you hear about Year Up?

“At school I heard there were talks of them coming to Charlotte and the program was recommended to me. I thought it was too good to be true and then attended an info session and discovered they are a legit organization looking to make a change.”

What was your internship with Bank of America?

“I provide support to the Application Production Services team. Some of my duties involved include, identifying, triaging, and troubleshooting issues that affect the applications’ interfaces.”

How did you get interested in tech?

“I’ve been a tech person my whole life. I knew that was what I wanted to do. Before Year Up, I wasn’t sure what field of technology I wanted to go into. So far, working with the applications team at Bank of America has been fun to me.”

Did you feel welcomed as an intern? 

“That was actually one of my fears going in. I wasn’t sure how well an intern would be received in corporate America. Everybody was very welcoming and extended their arms out to me asking if I needed help. They really made me feel like a team member and not just an intern. I could tell they were really invested.”

What are some of your takeaways from the Year Up program and internship?

“It takes a lot of work to get to where you want. Year Up has really provided a whole new perspective on life for me. They really hammered in how to be a professional and what it’s like to be a professional. Before I started Year Up, there’s no way I thought I would be where I’m at.”

Simpson, Gomez, and Rithiphong are all now currently working full-time jobs with Bank of America.

Bank of America and Year Up have plans to continue the program in Charlotte. And Gomez, a Charlotte native, says she’s hopeful that it will improve the community.

She also had a word of advice for students considering the program. “I know it’s a commitment but it’s an opportunity. Don’t let fear be a barrier.”

Interested in learning more about the Year Up program? Get more info here.

This content was created in partnership with Bank of America.