A total of 52 students from across the state, including Community Neighbor Bank’s Justin Pierce, graduated from the Alabama Banking School on July 24.

The school was held at the University of South Alabama in Mobile. This year’s graduating class was the 38th since the school first began in 1976.

Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill served as this year’s commencement speaker.

The school is administered by a 26-member faculty comprised of bankers and industry professionals.

The school’s staff consists of former graduates who are active bankers in the state of Alabama. Students attended three week-long sessions during a two-year period to complete the program. At the conclusion of each session, students must successfully complete two final exams. While not in session, students are required to complete extensive home study problems.

During the third and final session, students form teams and participate in a bank simulation program called BankExec. This program allows students to make strategic decisions for a virtual bank to give a more complete picture of how these decisions impact bank performance.