Boys and Girls Club interns impact kids for years to come

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (FOX 13) - Bay Area teens are paying-it-forward this summer by interning with an organization that helped them as young kids.

At the Boys and Girls Club in St. Petersburg, Molly Dashney is shaping young minds to help them strive for success. 

She's one of four teens who were selected from hundreds of candidates for paid summer jobs at the Boys and Girls Club. 

"It's not only an investment in our community now, it's an investment in the future and I believe in that. And I am really grateful to have this opportunity with Bank of America and the Boys and Girls Club," Molly said.

The program is in its 15th year. It started as a Bank of America initiative to help mold future leaders by giving them hands-on work experience in their community. 

"Their going to know and understand better the important role for not for profits in our community and the complex issues that those organizations are helping solve in our communities," explained Ann Shaler with Bank of America.

The students learned job skills and how to run a non-profit. They even traveled to Washington D.C. to meet with policymakers.

"[The program] not only helps me understand the issues going on in the country right now, but to learn different opinions and ideas to apply to my own beliefs and bring back to our community," Molly said.

Molly was chosen for the internship because of her volunteerism with the Juvenile Arbitration Court Program. She learned the importance of helping first-time juvenile misdemeanor offenders.

"When I see something that's not right and, in my case, it was education. It made me want to do something about it," explained Molly.