PD WEEK 5: Overview
Week 5 marks the final week of the ProX summer internship experience. As the program begins wrapping up, this is an opportunity to reflect on the growth and professional development interns built throughout the summer.
Once again, thank you for the time, mentorship, and support you have invested in students during this experience!
This week, interns are focusing on leadership and the many ways it shows up within professional environments. Students are learning that leadership is not limited to a title, but rather, also looks like taking initiative, supporting a team, and moving shared goals forward.
Throughout the summer, interns have been building foundational work-ready skills such as communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and self-awareness. Leadership brings those skills together and helps students better understand how they contribute within professional spaces.
Employers can support this growth by helping interns recognize the value of their voice, perspective, and contributions within the workplace.
Agility Focus: Leadership
This Week’s Featured Speakers
Throughout the summer, interns will hear from featured speakers representing a variety of industries. These sessions are designed to support intern growth by exploring topics related to career readiness, professional development, and life beyond ProX.
Employers are encouraged to stay informed about featured speaker topics, as these sessions often reinforce the work-ready skills interns are developing throughout the internship experience and can serve as valuable conversation starters in the workplace.
DeAngela Burns-Wallace, Ed.D.
President and CEO, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
Dr. DeAngela Burns-Wallace is president and chief executive officer of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, a private, nonpartisan foundation that provides access to opportunities that help people achieve financial stability, upward mobility, and economic prosperity – regardless of race, gender, or geography.
Working across the public service, academic, and philanthropic sectors, Dr. Burns-Wallace carries a career commitment to enriching and strengthening equitable economic mobility. With Ewing Kauffman’s vision serving as the centerpiece for the Kauffman Foundation, Dr. Burns-Wallace guided a comprehensive community engagement process to solidify the Foundation’s enduring bond with Kansas City and renew its focus on college access and completion, workforce and career development, and entrepreneurship.
Maggie Smardo
Marketing Specialist, Team KC: Kansas City Area Development Council
Maggie Smardo is a Marketing Specialist, Investor Relations at the Kansas City Area Development Council. In her role, she collaborates with nearly 400 companies across the region to market Kansas City as a premier destination for talent and business investment. Through strategic engagement, Maggie helps drive a unified regional vision that supports the growth and competitiveness of the KC region.
Danielle Hilton
Managing Director Team KC: Kansas City Area Development Council
Danielle Hilton is the Managing Director of TeamKC: Life+Talent at the Kansas City Area Development Council. In her role, she works with more than 300 companies across the region to showcase KC to talented individuals from around the world. Overseeing an exclusive leadership group of global HR and recruiting executives and a network of more than 1,100 recruiters in the KC community, Danielle provides strategic direction for attracting and retaining talent in the KC region.
