SunTrust Robinson Humphrey Announces National Sponsorship of Youth About Business

ATLANTA, July 6, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- SunTrust Robinson Humphrey (STRH) is pleased to announce a national sponsorship of Youth About Business (YAB). Founded in 1992, YAB is a leadership-training program for youth in underserved communities that aims to introduce high school students to the world of business and finance. The program seeks to enable students to escape the cycle of "hopelessness" that occurs far too often in communities across America.

"This is an exciting opportunity for our financial professionals to mentor students, encourage them to think about a career in business or finance, and help them achieve the financial confidence to live a life well spent. Without an organization like Youth About Business, many underserved youth would miss the opportunity to gain invaluable experience that will help prepare them for their future professional careers," said John Gregg, chairman & CEO of SunTrust Robinson Humphrey.

As a part of the onUp movement launched by SunTrust, STRH will leverage its national Corporate and Investment Banking presence to engage YAB students. Leading STRH's efforts will be Erin Watson, managing director and head of strategy, who has been appointed to the YAB National Advisory Board. Watson has responsibility for overseeing the firm's analyst, associate, and intern programs. In addition, STRH will provide support to YAB's camps held throughout the year by serving as instructors and judges for competitions, as well as contributing toward scholarships for competing students.

"We are thrilled to have SunTrust Robinson Humphrey join in supporting our mission to expose youth across the country to the business world. Our experiential learning model has proven to help foster the development of business literacy and leadership skills that are necessary to be successful in school and in life. We are grateful to be able to continue our ongoing work due to the generous support of our partners like SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, and we are looking forward to continuing to cultivate our programs and reach even more at-risk youth," added Sam Kirk, founder of Youth About Business.

YAB currently operates in Tennessee, New York, Illinois, Georgia and Texas, and will soon expand into the Western and Mid-Atlantic regions. Since the founding of YAB, more than 7,000 students have participated in one or more of its educational components. Students who participate in YAB's programs boast a 98 percent high school graduation rate with many pursuing degrees at two- and four-year colleges, compared to a rate of 68 percent in some areas of the country.

About SunTrust Robinson HumphreySunTrust Robinson Humphrey® is the trade name for the corporate and investment banking services of SunTrust Banks, Inc. (NYSE: STI) and its subsidiaries. Securities and strategic advisory services are provided by SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, Inc., member FINRA and SIPC. SunTrust Robinson Humphrey has extensive experience working with public and private companies of all sizes – from emerging growth to the Fortune 500. SunTrust Robinson Humphrey offers a complete array of solutions for companies across all industries while providing in-depth industry expertise and dedicated corporate and investment banking practices for certain core sectors, including business services, financial sponsors, building products, healthcare, consumer and retail, media and communications, energy, transportation, financial services and technology, and real estate. SunTrust Robinson Humphrey's internet address is www.suntrustrh.com.  

About Youth About BusinessYouth About Business is a leadership-training program for youth in underserved communities that aims to introduce high school students to the world of business and finance. Founded in 1992 as a project of Creating an Environment of Success (CES), a Tennessee based 501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation, YAB offers multiple programs that provide entrepreneurial and leadership training to high school students in Chicago, Houston, Memphis, Nashville, and New York. Additional information about YAB can be found at http://www.youthaboutbusiness.org/ or at www.facebook.com/YouthAboutBusiness.

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SOURCE SunTrust Robinson Humphrey