InternOKC 2024: Building Professional Skills and Networks for Future Leaders

The Chamber’s recent InternOKC event on Tuesday, June 18, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. focused on professional development for interns in the Oklahoma City area, allowing these individuals to network, build relationships, gain confidence, build their brand and more.

Special guest Les Thomas, Sr., hype man for Oklahoma State University, was the emcee for the day, encouraging the interns to engage in the program with his enthusiastic voice and style.

“Today, the takeaway is to be intentional, listen to each person, take something away from each person, and discover yourself,” Thomas said.

Chamber President and CEO Cristy Gillenwater opened the event with some inspirational comments and a questionnaire game designed to allow the interns to share more about themselves and their career desires.

After the general session, the interns moved between five different breakout rooms with guest speakers in each. In one breakout room, Loves Travel Stops Learning and Development Lead Michael Shellabarger discussed the 13 behaviors for building trust, an important aspect in the working world. In another breakout room, Brandi Williams, Oklahoma Department of Human Services Customer Service and Learning and Development Manager, discussed personal branding, encouraging interns to write down their ideas and build upon those within the session.

Two keynote speakers were present at the event. State Representative Arturo Alonso-Sandoval spoke during the interns’ lunch break and Shalynne Jackson, City of Oklahoma City Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer, spoke before the interns were dismissed for the day. Alonso-Sandoval communicated to interns that one must assemble their success like a puzzle with many pieces. Alonso-Sandoval explained that as an individual builds their career, they can begin to put the puzzle pieces into place. Jackson taught interns how to unlock their potential through leveraging growth and resilience within a career.

InternOKC is dedicated to helping interns develop skills they can use for the entirety of their career. By networking with others their age and listening to lessons from those who came before them, the interns are set up for success in the working world.

“I think the opportunity being provided to students today is amazing,” Thomas, Sr. said about InternOKC. “The thing is almost everyone that is doing something significant in their life can pinpoint a moment that changed the trajectory of their life. … Hopefully today, everyone will have that moment where they can grow and increase.”