CHARLOTTE — Emma Caponigro, a 2016 graduate of Charlotte Catholic High School, had a unique opportunity this summer: taking part in the Student Leadership Internship Program through Bank of America. She was one of five students from Charlotte selected to intern at the Freedom School Partners, to gain leadership experience in a professional setting.
Nationwide, Bank of America selected 225 students from 45 cities to participate in this year’s program.
Prior to her selection for the competitive internship, Caponigro served for three years as a volunteer on the Mecklenburg County Teen Court, first as a juror and then as a prosecution and defense attorney. The Teen Court provides youth aged 11-17 to appear before a jury of their peers and gives them a second chance after committing a misdemeanor. After completion of their sentence, the offense is expunged from a defendant’s record.
Pictured: Charlotte Catholic High School graduate Emma Caponigro, (second from right) was one of five high school students from Charlotte selected for the Student Leadership Internship Program with Bank of America this summer. (Photo provided by Emma Caponigro)
“It was very eye-opening,” Caponigro said. “It was good to be able to meet the defendants beforehand, to get to know why they committed the misdemeanors. It widened my horizons about what was happening in my community and what I could do to help.”
Caponigro found the Freedom School Partners internship to be fruitful, as well. The non-profit program assists students with maintaining literary skills over the summer to help boost literacy when they return to school in the fall. More than 1,000 children were enrolled in the Freedom School Program in Charlotte across 15 locations.
“It was awesome. I completely enjoyed every part of it. I’m so sad it is over!” Caponigro said.
She was able to rotate through the locations, visiting one in the morning and driving to another in the afternoon. Caponigro was able to visit 13 of the 15 sites during her internship.
The Freedom Schools offered pep rallies in the morning, with songs and announcements and guest speakers. A reading curriculum followed and then lunch was served and more activities followed in the afternoon.
“We would bring the older students on college tours, to the Nature Museum and Mint Museum,” Caponigro explained. “We did science experiments with them. I also helped with their evaluations to test the kids to see how their reading compared from the beginning to the end of the Freedom School.”
Caponigro learned a lot about non-profits and how they work. She was also able to travel, all expenses paid, to Washington, D.C., with the other Bank of America interns for a Leadership Summit as part of the internship.
“They taught us how to capitalize on the opportunities available to us. So some of us interns invited the executive director of the Freedom School to lunch, and we learned about her and how she helped pioneer the Freedom School.
“There was really an emphasis on finding a cause you are passionate about, and in the career you choose to always advocate for those causes. It helped us understand no matter your career, you can always advocate for what you are passionate about.”
Caponigro said her faith deepened through this experience, especially when she witnessed the children participating in the Freedom School pep rally each morning.
“Seeing the kids sing in the pep rally, the first song is ‘Hallelujah.’ They sing it every morning. That’s really great. Also the Freedom School sites are at churches, of all different faiths. It’s great to see these churches come together and give so much of their time to help these kids.”
Caponigro is the daughter of Rick and Kris Caponigro, parishioners of St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte. She is now in the Honors Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and hopes to enter the School of Public Health to study Health Policy Management, while also working towards a minor in business.
“I hope to go back and volunteer at some of the schools. I made such great friends,” Caponigro said.
— SueAnn Howell, Senior reporter