—by Pristine Wong
The Leadership Development Institute, held from July 13th-15th in Alexandria, VA, was an amazing experience for INROADS graduating seniors from all regions to network and learn new leadership skills.
Despite traveler’s exhaustion, we arrived at Reagan Washington National Airport filled with excitement. We were immediately welcomed by the warm, humid East Coast weather and carried over to the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center. There, we were greeted by our esteemed INROADS coordinators, managers, and about 300 fellow interns. I was surrounded by such a unique group of individuals from across regions, cultural, and geographic backgrounds. We kicked off the night with an awards ceremony/dinner. Representing the Western Region, our fellow Western region INROADer, Marlisha Burris, was awarded “2017 Intern of the Year” and I, Pristine, was presented the “2017 Frank C. Carr Community Service Award”.
The 2017 Leadership Development Institute truly lived up to its name. The two days were jam packed with workshops, keynote speakers, professional panels, and everything we needed to know for corporate and entrepreneurial success. We learned how to transition from college to career, manage up, become a leader, build a brand, start up a company, and mature both personally and professionally. Aside from further developing us as leaders, we also had the opportunity to explore all of Washington D.C. and the National Mall. (Shout out to Kandice for being my “partner-in-crime” throughout the trip! Graduating seniors returned to work the following Monday well equipped and ready to become the next best leaders.
I am so honored to have been able to connect and network with so many intelligent, confident, and driven individuals throughout this trip. It was nice to know that despite living in different parts of the world, there are people who share my same aspirations and goals. We are all striving to become successful in the corporate world and INROADS has launched us all on that path.
Check out the gallery page in the newsletter to see all our experiences!