Georgetown Edition | September 2024

Education

BY ANNA MANESS

LaKissa Bright founded Ladders for Leaders in 2018.

ANNA MANESSCOMMUNITY IMPACT

Company connections Organizations internships have previously been

available with include: • Think Group Austin • Ascension Seton • Code Ninjas • Little Explorers Pediatric Dentistry • Highway 71 Veterinary Hospital • Austin Urban Technology Movement • St. David’s HealthCare

A 2023 Ladders for Leaders intern receives a $1,000 scholarship from board members Shay Tower and Keiko Anderson at July’s intern celebration.

www.laddersforleaders.org

COURTESY LADDERS FOR LEADERS

Ladders for Leaders helps high schoolers explore careers Many high school students choose their college major before having any work experience in that eld, which is why founder LaKissa Bright started Ladders for Leaders in 2018, an organization that gives students internship opportunities before they graduate.

she said. The program’s hybrid sessions include training on business etiquette, nancial literacy, resume writing, LinkedIn creation and more. The program accepted 15 interns in 2019, its rst year, and Bright’s goal for next year is 75. Looking ahead After expanding from Williamson County to Travis County in 2022, Bright said she hopes the program can impact more students in the future. “In ve to 10 years, I hope that we’re able to grow and expand outside of Austin,” Bright said. “My goal would be to get into Houston and Dallas, and to have kids in all of those cities getting these opportunities.”

The overview Ladders for Leaders has three di erent pro- grams—a summer internship program; Ladders for Leaders University; and a youth job match portal, which connects students with employers. “We align [interns] with companies that match their career goals,” Bright said. “Whatever it is that they think they want to do, we nd profes- sionals to match them with so that they can get that experience.” Internship applications will open in mid-January. All applicants must complete 80% of the free Ladders for Leaders University program, which Bright started to prepare students for internships,

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