Manraj Mondair of Clovis and Elena Padilla of Riverdale have been awarded paid summer internships in Bank of America’s Student Leaders program.

The eight-week internship will provide Mondair and Padilla with first-hand experience serving their communities. As part of the program, the students will develop leadership and practical workforce skills while working with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Fresno County, Bank of America said in a news release on Wednesday.

This summer, the bank is connecting more than 3,400 teens and young adults nationwide to summer jobs through partnerships with 91 nonprofits.

Later this summer, Mondair and Padilla will travel to Washington, D.C., for a week-long, all-expenses-paid, national leadership summit focused on the power of cross-sector collaboration. At the first in-person Summit since 2019, Student Leaders from across the nation will discuss civic engagement and meet members of Congress.

“By providing the pathways and resources for teens to gain the work skills and leadership experience they need to succeed, we are investing in our region’s long-term economic growth,” said Mark Riley, president of Bank of America Fresno/Visalia.

“The teens selected for this year’s program are truly extraordinary and already are inspiring their classmates to higher levels of achievement and community involvement. The Student Leaders program is just one example of how we connect people to meaningful employment resources while also instilling the importance of giving back to your community.”

Here’s a look at the accomplishments of the two local Student Leaders:

Manraj Mondair

A rising senior at the top of his class at Buchanan High School. With a GPA of 4.73, Manraj holds many academic accomplishments, including being a two-time Global Finalist in the FIRST Robotics Competition and the state finals of the California Science and Engineering Fair. He has also interned on IT projects with Harvard Medical School, Princeton University, and the Argonne National Laboratory. The first-generation son of Sikh Indian immigrants, Manraj is passionate about harnessing technology to bridge the global educational divide. He founded an international nonprofit that provides a core educational online experience to more than 1,000 students and launched a startup to help students master computer science concepts. Manraj has earned a President’s Lifetime Volunteer Service Award from AmeriCorps and the Points of Light Foundation for volunteering more than 4,000 hours.

Elena Padilla

She recently graduated from Riverdale High School with a GPA of 4.40 and will attend UC San Diego in the fall, majoring in international business. A first-generation Mexican American, she was student body president her senior year. Elena was captain of the girls’ varsity soccer and tennis teams, was the student representative on the Riverdale School Board for three years, and served on the Fresno Chamber of Commerce Junior Board for high school students. She has been named the Superintendent Superstar for the Month for efforts to promote mental health awareness in Riverdale, volunteered for more than five years with local nonprofit Lanare Community United, helped raise $10,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and volunteered with the Leo Club, the high school arm of the Lions Club.