Historically Black High School in North Carolina Opens a Bank on Campus

Nationwide — Hillside High School, one of the few remaining historically Black high schools in North Carolina, has opened a Student Bank Training Center, a fully functioning bank on its campus that prepares students for the future and promote financial literacy.

Hillside’s bank offers a range of services, such as checking and savings accounts, not only to students but also to staff and families. It is an official branch of Woodforest National Bank, which operates nearly 80 branches across North Carolina. It is the first branch within a high school.

The bank operates with an official staff of service representatives. It gives the opportunity to students enrolled in Hillside’s Business and Finance Academy to gain practical experience through internships at the bank.

“Hopefully, this will generate more interest in students wanting to learn more about the Finance Academy, especially those students considering careers in accounting or finance. They will undoubtedly see Hillside High School as a premier destination for their education,” Priscella Ross, head of the Business and Finance Academy, told WUNC.

The impact of the financial literacy program is already being felt among the students. One of the students, Kiara Lowther, who serves as a Loan Officer at the bank said, “Before I took this class, I used to spend money on fast food and a lot of pointless stuff. But Ms. Ross showed us how to balance our money and how to save up.”