The Virginia Bankers Association (VBA) Education Foundation is pleased to announce that Aakriti Rustagi is the statewide winner of the VBA Bank Day Scholarship Program (Bank Day). Aakriti, who is a senior at Langley High School, participated in Bank Day with host organization Virginia National Bank. Previously named the Northern Virginia regional winner, Aakriti was awarded a $2,500 scholarship and will now receive an additional $5,000, for a total of $7,500 for her college education.

Earling M. Hunter, II, a senior at King’s Fork High School, was named this year’s statewide runner-up winner. Earling was hosted on Bank Day by Blue Ridge Bank. Previously named the Eastern Virginia regional winner, Earling was awarded a $2,500 scholarship and will now receive an additional $2,500, for a total of $5,000 for his college education.

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. More than 680 students registered to participate with 26 Virginia banks for this year’s program. These participating banks hosted the students and provided resources and information so the students could learn about banking, financial services, career opportunities in the industry and the vital role banks play in their communities. Throughout this program, students also had access to a variety of resources from the VBA, including videos, articles and podcasts, which covered industry topics such as banking fundamentals, understanding credit, careers in banking, and banks’ economic impact in Virginia.

Students were asked to write an essay about their experiences and thirteen scholarships (six regional, six honorable mention, and one overall statewide) were awarded based on the merit of the essays.

Aakriti reflected on her experience with Virginia National Bank in her essay titled Two Ledgers, saying, “I’m a senior in high school who works part-time to help cover my expenses and pay for college, and I joined [Bank Day] carrying the anxiety of someone who had already done the math and found the numbers frightening. What I didn’t expect was to leave carrying something else entirely: a clearer understanding of how to navigate the financial decisions ahead of me, and a new belief that places we usually see as just business or routine can, at their best, be much more human and meaningful.”

“We are excited to award Aakriti and Earling, and all of this year’s winners, with these scholarships. The amount of information these students learn about banking in one day never ceases to amaze me. A key objective of the VBA Education Foundation is to make sure that Virginia’s students are prepared for their financial futures, and it’s clear that Bank Day is key driver of progress towards that goal,” said Bruce Whitehurst, Mid-Atlantic Bankers Association and VBA president and CEO.

The following students had winning essays:

• Capitol Region Winner: Peter Roberts, Midlothian High School, Hosted by C&F Bank
• Capitol Region Honorable Mention Winner: Kaitlynne Kelsey, Cumberland High School, Hosted by The Farmers Bank of Appomattox
• Central/Southside Region Winner: Riley Price, Glenvar High School, Hosted by Bank of Botetourt
• Central/Southside Region Honorable Mention Winner: Idrak Anwar, Western Albemarle High School, Hosted by C&F Bank
• Statewide Runner-Up & Eastern Virginia Region Winner: Earling M. Hunter, II, King’s Fork High School, Hosted by Blue Ridge Bank
• Eastern Virginia Region Honorable Mention Winner: Christopher Iyinbor, Hampton High School, Hosted by C&F Bank
• Statewide & Northern Virginia Region Winner: Aakriti Rustagi, Langley High School, Hosted by Virginia National Bank
• Northern Virginia Region Honorable Mention Winner: Hunter Guthrie, James Madison High School, Virginia National Bank
• Valley Region Winner: Lauren Funk, James Wood High School, Hosted by F&M Bank
• Valley Region Honorable Mention Winner: Isam Mousa, Spotswood High School, Hosted by Virginia National Bank
• Southwest Virginia Region Winner: Peyton Williams, Lee High School, Hosted by Powell Valley National Bank
• Southwest Virginia Region Honorable Mention Winner: Kylan Brooks, Lebanon High School, Hosted by First Sentinel Bank

Since 2012, the VBA Education Foundation has distributed $353,000 in scholarship monies to 162 students, all while educating nearly 5,800 participating students about the banking industry through the Bank Day program. The VBA Bank Day Scholarship Program will take place again next March.

About the Virginia Bankers Association Education Foundation

The Virginia Bankers Association (VBA) formed the VBA Education Foundation in 2007 with funding from the majority of VBA member banks for the Walter Ayers Fund for Financial Education. The Foundation’s mission is to improve personal financial literacy and economic education in all public and private schools in the Commonwealth. The Foundation recognizes the importance of economic education and financial literacy in Virginia and supports the banking industry as a key participant in these areas. For more information, visit www.vabankers.org/vba-education-foundation.