Bank of Botetourt hosted VBA scholarship recipient

June 4, 2021 Reader Submission

Bank of Botetourt Hosted a Scholarship Recipient
for the VBA Education Foundation 2021 Bank Day Essay Contest
Troutville – Bank of Botetourt is pleased to announce Jacob Bell as the Central/Southside Honorable
Mention Winner for the Virginia Bankers Association (VBA) Education Foundation’s 2021 VBA Bank Day
Scholarship Program. Jacob Bell of Hidden Valley High School plans to attend the University of Michigan
with a double major in Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences. Bank of Botetourt, in conjunction
with the VBA, worked with 24 seniors from 7 local high schools. The Bank would like to extend its
congratulations and well wishes to Jacob in his future.
“Over the years, Bank of Botetourt has hosted nine scholarship recipients and we feel that the financial
education of our youth is one more way the bank serves its communities. 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.
The VBA Bank Day Scholarship Program began in 1991 when the third Tuesday in March was declared
Bank Day in Virginia by the Virginia General Assembly. This year, Bank Day had more than 420 students
participating virtually with 26 banks across the Commonwealth. Due to the pandemic, Bank Day was
held virtually and centralized with content provided on a resource webpage from the VBA. Students had
access to a variety of resources, including a video series covering a variety of industry topics including
banking fundamentals, “Banking 101”, understanding credit, careers in banking, and a community
engagement panel discussion; articles about banks’ economic impact in Virginia, career opportunities,
and how the industry has stepped up and responded during the pandemic; and podcasts on building a
banking career, bankers’ community commitment, and a look at Virginia’s economy. Participating banks
also hosted virtual meetings for the students and provided supplemental resources about specific ways
their banks support the communities they serve.
Students were asked to write an essay about their experience and fourteen scholarships (six regional, six
honorable mention, one statewide runner-up and one overall statewide) were awarded based on the
merit of the essays. A total of $26,000 will be awarded.
“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.
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.