Decades before Georgia State University received national attention for a commitment to inclusion and belonging, innovation, and social mobility—and before rankings bodies paid attention to such things—leaders from Bank of America (BofA) recognized those traits within the downtown Atlanta school. One might call Bank of America an original cheerleader for Georgia State’s Robinson College of Business. The bank is, after all, one of Robinson’s longest-standing supporters.

A $1 million donation in the early ‘60s marked the bank’s first major gift to Georgia State. Mills B. Lane, then president of Citizens & Southern National Bank (C&S, a precursor to Bank of America), did so to encourage more students to pursue careers in banking.

Graduates from the Robinson College of Business make smooth transitions from college to career. Out-of-classroom experiences that prepare students for the real world are woven into the curriculum and offered through extracurricular programming. A hallmark immersive initiative at Robinson is its umbrella of Panther Immersion Programs: multi-day excursions to key professional districts in New York City, Silicon Valley, and Washington, D.C. After a competitive application process and rigorous months-long coaching, cohorts travel to those cities to network, tour company headquarters, and ultimately contend for jobs. The trips would not be possible without corporate partners’ support. A significant champion of Robinson’s Panther Immersion Programs is investment management corporation BlackRock, which plays a key role in all three locations.