High school seniors from Suffolk, Chesapeake, Isle of Wight, Southampton and Franklin spent the day March 15 shadowing bankers at Farmers Bank as part of Bank Day, a statewide effort sponsored by the Virginia Bankers Association Education Foundation and the Virginia Bankers Association Leadership Division.

The purpose of the day is to expose students to the banking industry and provide an opportunity for the students to learn about banking, financial services and the vital role Farmers Bank plays in its community, according to a press release describing the event.

Farmers Bank in Windsor hosted students from Nansemond River and Lakeland high schools in Suffolk, Western Branch High School in Chesapeake, Windsor High School and Isle of Wight Academy in Isle of Wight County, Southampton High School in Southampton County and Franklin High School in Franklin.

Students were treated to a tour of the bank, meeting people from branch staff, finance, operations, retail administration, marketing, loan processing, and information technology departments. They also heard from Farmers Chief Executive Officer Dick Holland and President Vernon Towler.

During their visit, the students learned about the loan process, the importance of good credit, the profile of a qualified borrower, appropriate etiquette during a job interview, how Farmers Bank is involved in the community, the Federal Reserve System, payments and more.

Participating students will write an essay drawing from the experience for the chance to win a scholarship, according to Farmers Bank officials. Six regional scholarships of $2,500 each will be awarded, and from those six winners an overall statewide winner will be chosen. The statewide winner will receive an additional $5,000 scholarship and receive $7,500 in total. There will also be six honorable mention scholarships of $1,000 each.

In all, 12 students will receive scholarships totaling $26,000.

“Bank Day is one of the best short-term, hands-on experiences that a classroom teacher can offer their students — the opportunity to go inside the bank vault, to watch customer/bank officer interaction, to learn about the many services that banks offer, and to start the networking that often leads to part-time and summer jobs, scholarships, and a start on a career path in the financial world,” Bruce Whitehurst, president and chief executive officer of the Virginia Bankers Association stated in a press release.