Ravenwood High School junior, Omkar Upadhye is a Bank of America Student Leader for 2021. This prestigious program helps prepare students to enter the workforce through skills-building and leadership development.
Of the four student leaders in the Nashville market, Omkar is the only student selected from Williamson County, and among 300 young people from across the country who were selected as Student Leaders.
Omkar was selected for his dedication to increasing financial literacy in Tennessee particularly among his peers. While conducting research for his AP Research class, Omkar found that Tennesseans have a financial literacy score 17% lower than the national average. He founded an Investing Club at his school to get students interested in finance and teach his peers skills to develop their financial health. He also created clubs for middle schoolers at the Brentwood and Nashville Public Libraries where students are participating in hands-on paper trading competitions, financial literacy lessons, and hosting guest speakers from industry professionals. He has helped to serve more than 1,000 students through the clubs. He also mentors freshman students and participates in student council and DECA.
Since 2004, the Bank of America Student Leaders program recognizes 300 community-focused juniors and seniors every year. These students are engaged in an eight-week, paid internship, working closely with Nashville nonprofit The Oasis Center developing leadership and workforce skills, and participating in a week-long virtual leadership summit. This program is part of the bank’s overall commitment to youth employment, helping to prepare a diverse pipeline of young talent for success in the workforce. In addition to the Student Leaders program, the bank has invested in summer jobs for young people through its partnership with Opportunity NOW.
