Bank of Botetourt has announced two winners for the VBA Education Foundation’s 2020 VBA Bank Day Scholarship Program. This year’s winners are Kelby Bartley of Rockbridge County High School, a Central/Southside regional scholarship winner who will be awarded a $2,500 scholarship, and Rebekah Honaker of Lord Botetourt High School, an honorable mention winner for the Central/Southside who will be awarded $1,000. Bank of Botetourt, in conjunction with the Virginia Bankers Association (VBA), worked with over 40 seniors from 9 local high schools to apply for the Program.
In 1991 Bank Day was declared by The Virginia General Assembly to be the third Tuesday in March. More than 520 students participated in this year’s program with 37 banks across the Commonwealth. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many students participated in a virtual Bank Day experience where they had the opportunity to learn about the banking industry, careers in banking, ways to manage their financial future and how banks support the communities they serve.
Students participated remotely with Bank of Botetourt to learn about the responsibilities of all departments within the bank. Employees educated the students through a webinar presentation on the loan process, the importance of good credit, deposit products, banking finances, technology and IT security, E-commerce, the Federal Reserve System, and the vital role Bank of Botetourt provides for the communities it serves.
Students were asked to write an essay about their experience for the opportunity to win a college scholarship. A total of $26,000 was awarded to 12 students. Bank of Botetourt has had eight total scholarship recipients over the years.
The six regional winners will now be entered into the statewide essay contest. The winner of the statewide contest will receive an additional $5,000 for a total of $7,500 towards their college education.
“These essays proved that students’ Bank Day experience helped them to gain an understanding of how banking works and how important it is to be equipped with effective money management skills. We are proud of their achievements and wish them luck as they begin their college careers,” said VBA President and CEO Bruce Whitehurst.
“At Bank of Botetourt, we feel that the financial education of our youth is one more way the bank serves its communities. This year at our VBA Bank Day, we hosted a record number of seniors from high schools throughout and surrounding our bank footprint. This unique opportunity allowed these seniors to experience community banking at its finest even if it was remotely. We are proud to continue partnering with the VBA to offer this scholarship opportunity and program,” said Lyn Hayth, President and CEO of Bank of Botetourt.
VBA Bank Day is a statewide effort sponsored by the VBA Education Foundation and the VBA Emerging Bank Leaders. Bank Day began when the third Tuesday in March was declared Bank Day by the Virginia General Assembly in 1991. Visit www.vabankers.org to learn more about the VBA Bank Day Scholarship Program and other efforts to promote economic and financial education for Virginia’s students.
About Bank of Botetourt
Bank of Botetourt was chartered in 1899 and now operates twelve retail offices in Botetourt, Rockbridge, Roanoke, and Franklin counties and the City of Salem, and operates a mortgage division, Virginia Mountain Mortgage and a financial services division, Botetourt Wealth Management.
About the Virginia Bankers Association
The Virginia Bankers Association represents banks of all sizes and charters and has served as the unified voice for Virginia’s $615 billion banking industry and its 42 thousand employees since 1893.
