Blueprint

Expanding educational opportunities for students in under-resourced communities

A Day at Cox Academy

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Who did you meet with today?

Today we met Mary Grace who is registered as a Civil Engineer and Land Surveyor in the State of California. She enjoys working at Blueprint and creating positive learning environments that improve education. We also ended up meeting with the Swinerton team, which included Aaron, Garrett, and Kristina who gave us a tour and talked to us about themselves and how they got into this career.

Where do they work? What does the company do?

Mary Grace works for Blueprint as a Project Director. Blueprint is a full-service nonprofit real estate development firm. Aaron, Garett, and Kristina all work for Swinerton, which is a construction company. Swinerton is a 100% employee-owned, $5 billion, national construction firm providing industry-leading commercial construction, construction management, design-build, and self-perform services.

What did you learn today? What were some highlights?

I learned today about the process of construction and how long it takes to complete a building. Another thing that I learned today was that when they hold a meeting with all key stakeholders, they don’t always agree.  Some highlights of this day were getting a tour of an active construction site while wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

What insights did you gain into the field of real estate development?

Some insights that I gained into the field of real estate development were how closely the employees manage the budget and the timeline because if they don’t it can impact the project. Also, visiting the active site helped me realize how much teamwork, planning, and problem-solving are involved in real estate development.

What did you find the most interesting about the field in the field after today?

The thing that I found most interesting about the field today was the size of the blueprints they use. It was so big just to fit the renovation of the building and that it was drawn and checked by many people.

Seven people wearing hard hats and orange safety vests stand in a line at a construction site in front of a beige building, with heavy machinery and equipment visible in the background.
Interns with Swinerton team at Cox Academy
Five people wearing orange safety vests and hard hats stand in a construction office, having a discussion. Two people are holding notepads, and a calendar is visible on the back wall.
Interns with Mary Grace and Swinerton
Several people wearing orange safety vests and white hard hats walk through a partially constructed building with exposed concrete beams and wet floors; construction equipment is visible in the background.
Interns walking through construction at Cox Academy
Three people wearing orange safety vests and white hard hats stand on a staircase in a building under construction. A small skid-steer loader is visible at the top of the stairs. The walls are partially unfinished.
Interns on the stairs

 

Seven people wearing hard hats and orange safety vests stand in a line at a construction site in front of a beige building, with heavy machinery and equipment visible in the background.

A Day at Cox Academy

December 13, 2025

By Alexis Melgar, Fall Intern

Who did you meet with today?

Today we met Mary Grace who is registered as a Civil Engineer and Land Surveyor in the State of California. She enjoys working at Blueprint and creating positive learning environments that improve education. We also ended up meeting with the Swinerton team, which included Aaron, Garrett, and Kristina who gave us a tour and talked to us about themselves and how they got into this career.

Where do they work? What does the company do?

Mary Grace works for Blueprint as a Project Director. Blueprint is a full-service nonprofit real estate development firm. Aaron, Garett, and Kristina all work for Swinerton, which is a construction company. Swinerton is a 100% employee-owned, $5 billion, national construction firm providing industry-leading commercial construction, construction management, design-build, and self-perform services.

What did you learn today? What were some highlights?

I learned today about the process of construction and how long it takes to complete a building. Another thing that I learned today was that when they hold a meeting with all key stakeholders, they don't always agree.  Some highlights of this day were getting a tour of an active construction site while wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

What insights did you gain into the field of real estate development?

Some insights that I gained into the field of real estate development were how closely the employees manage the budget and the timeline because if they don't it can impact the project. Also, visiting the active site helped me realize how much teamwork, planning, and problem-solving are involved in real estate development.

What did you find the most interesting about the field in the field after today?

The thing that I found most interesting about the field today was the size of the blueprints they use. It was so big just to fit the renovation of the building and that it was drawn and checked by many people.

Seven people wearing hard hats and orange safety vests stand in a line at a construction site in front of a beige building, with heavy machinery and equipment visible in the background.
Interns with Swinerton team at Cox Academy

Five people wearing orange safety vests and hard hats stand in a construction office, having a discussion. Two people are holding notepads, and a calendar is visible on the back wall.
Interns with Mary Grace and Swinerton

Several people wearing orange safety vests and white hard hats walk through a partially constructed building with exposed concrete beams and wet floors; construction equipment is visible in the background.
Interns walking through construction at Cox Academy

Three people wearing orange safety vests and white hard hats stand on a staircase in a building under construction. A small skid-steer loader is visible at the top of the stairs. The walls are partially unfinished.
Interns on the stairs

 

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