The auditorium at IBEW Local 1 was already full before the program began. Families stood shoulder to shoulder along the back wall. Supporters leaned against both sides of the room. And every seat held someone who came to witness the moment the 2026 class of the St. Louis Internship Program stepped forward to celebrate what they had built this summer.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis President and CEO Brandon Williams opened the ceremony, which was held on Wednesday, July 29, with a message about beginnings — and the seeds young people plant through their choices. “The first thing I really want to say to my leaders is never despise small beginnings. Every thought, every word, every action is a seed,” Williams said. He told interns that the type of seed they plant — positive or negative — shapes their growth. He connected their summer experiences to the heat that helps a seed break open. “Your process to get into SLIP was a hot seed. It was uncomfortable. But you grew,” he said. “The hotter it is, the more pressure you can take.”
Williams reminded them that seeds must absorb water to grow, just as interns had to absorb knowledge, take notes and learn from the systems and environments they entered. He closed by urging them to seek light — and to be light. “A seed cannot grow in the dark. You have to expose yourself to the light. But more importantly, you have to be the light,” he said. “You walk in head up, tough, strong. Because you’ve already been through the fire.”…