Start your week off right with PD…

Blog by Emma Whitson

At the beginning of each week, all the ProX interns get together for a morning of professional development. There are three sessions where experienced professionals in different fields share information with students. Startland Education, the DeBruce Foundation, and CommunityAmerica Credit Union spend Monday sessions doing their best to prepare interns for the showcase at the end of the internship. 

Startland has been teaching students how to think differently by having an entrepreneurial mindset. Students are taught how to empathize with company users and create successful solutions to problems. Students were given resources from the DeBruce Foundation on learning more about themselves and how to use their strengths and weaknesses in the workplace. Time is also spent giving students tips on public speaking and communicating with others. With CommunityAmerica, they learn more about money management and how to safely handle their finances. Each of these companies gives the students a focus point each week while working on their internships.

During professional development sessions, students are expected to be attentive. Sessions are interactive and students get to practice skills they will use throughout the week. While there are times for students to talk and be active, they also need to be respectful and try to attain information. Being in a professional setting is a good experience for students to have before they become an adult and enter the workforce.

Students were given the opportunity to serve the community by volunteering. Some students got to take part in writing cards and making blankets. Others spent time outside picking up trash in parks. Both of these were great ways for students to work together to do something beneficial for the community. 

Every one of these sessions is highly beneficial to students. The information received on these days can be used throughout the students’ internships. Students are able to take what they learn and apply those skills in school, their future jobs, and everyday life. Professional development days are all about giving ProX interns the chance to learn and grow.