CITIZENS STUDENT BANK BOARD

Members of the 2008-2009 Student Bank Board gather for a graduation picture in the Board Room of Citizens Bank after their year-end ceremony. Student Board members for this year included Drake Bickham, Brittany Conner, Ana Cruz, Callie Cunyus, Jessica Eaton, Megan Harvey, Sydni McConnell, Alex Phillips, Alyssa Phillips, Kitt Sechrist, Stephanie Shipp and Emily Spence The 2008-2009 Citizens Bank Student Bank Board graduated with a short ceremony and dinner to honor the students and their parents. Sammy D. York, bank president and CEO, along with Kenneth Plunk, executive vice president, served as masters of ceremonies.

York congratulated the board on completing an excellent year of education and service. The students had meetings each month where they were educated on different facets of banking, and they also handed out Halloween candy, decorated the Christmas tree at the bank and served food and punch at the Christmas Open House in December.

Plunk said this was the 18th Student Bank Board at Citizens Bank, and he said the selection process gets tougher each and every year because of the number of outstanding students who apply for the 12 board positions.

Amelia Free, in-store manager and assistant vice president for Citizens Bank, is the program administrator. She begins work in the spring the year before the students are seniors by sending out application information and then holding interviews with senior management and bank board directors to select the 12 members. In September, there is an orientation and then monthly meetings until May where students are educated in different aspects of banking.

Students in this year's class included Drake Bickham, Brittany Conner, Ana Cruz, Callie Cunyus, Jessica Eaton, Megan Harvey, Sydni McConnell, Alex Phillips, Alyssa Phillips, Kitt Sechrist, Stephanie Shipp and Emily Spence.

Each student was presented a gold Cross pen set by the bank. And, during the year they were given money in a checking account for attending board meetings and other bank events, so they leave with a gift and some money in a checking account.

Melvin Jordan, senior vice president and cashier, asked each student stand, introduce their guests and then tell whether they still had the same college ambition and major prospect that they did when they volunteered that information at the orientation in September.

Three of the 12 had changes of college plans, and two others had changed the career paths they had earlier selected.

The students will now prepare for their high school graduation and life after KHS. The bank has already interviewed 20 students for positions on next year's board and will make that announcement in the summer. Then, for the 19th consecutive year, the new student bank board will meet in September for orientation.