PCSD

Who did you meet with today?

Today I met with Gary Blackwell, the owner of EPI Construction, Blackwell Construction, and BDI (Blackwell Development Inc.)s well as Eric Lieu and Rudolpho. Eric Lieu is a project manager and oversees multiple projects at EPI. Rudolpho is a superintendent at EPI and oversees the work site. We got to visit two active sites at Alliance Collins Family College-Ready High School (Renovation Project) and KIPP Endeavor (Seismic Compliance Project)

Where do they work? What does the company do?

The people I met today work for EPI Construction. The company serves as a general contractor to ensure that projects (such as a new school) get completed on time and within budget. They ensure the safety of people on site and ensure that a construction project meets safety guidelines and the final vision that the owner and architect have.

What did you learn today? What were some highlights?

Today I learned about how a construction project gets completed from start to finish and how each project can be different. The project at Alliance Collins Family College-Ready High School ran into issues when an Alta survey was not performed. This caused delays and more money that had to be spent on the project. A big challenge in the industry is trying to keep the people on-site hydrated. I also learned that general contractors have to bid on projects. Their biggest difficulties can be working with utilities such as water, gas, and electricity. A highlight was definitely the importance of safety in construction. The superintendent serves as a head of safety and at EPI they have weekly safety meetings.

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

Some insights I gained into this field is that General Contractors coordinate with other people and companies to work on a single project, and this can be a difficult process. Some people will disagree and it is up to the General Contractor to be able to resolve conflicts and to keep their promise of delivering a project on time. If a General Contractor can’t resolve issues in time, the project may face delays or go overbudget. They are an extremely essential part of turning a blueprint into the real deal.

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

The most interesting thing about the field is that it ties in with the insurance field that was covered in Day 1 (Read that article here!).  Gary Blackwell shared how Bond Insurance guarantees that a project will be completed by a certain time and an amount of cash is set aside. He shared that this means that if he fails to meet time and cash demands, his house, car, and other assets are at risk. It is so interesting how many different industries work together during a construction project when from the outside it is foreman and machinery working.  It was truly eye-opening to be able to piece the puzzle pieces together and see how everything connects.

Photos: Adrian Destura, Summer Intern 2026

Who did you meet with today? 

​​We met April Komolmis, Marce Garcia, Victoria Valle, and Robert Arredondo. ​

Where do they work? What does the company do? 

​​April and Marce work with Ednovate and they are a charter management organization that manages 8 schools throughout Los Angeles and Orange County. Victoria and Robert both work at CLA , where they are auditors who look at organizations’ financial records.​

What did you learn today? What were some highlights? 

​​I learned that Auditors must take a test like the bar exam, if they want to get a higher position. My highlights throughout the day were taking a tour through a school and how they function and speak with auditors and getting their point of view of their job.​ 

What are you looking forward to most during the internship? 

​​I’m looking forward to learning more about project management and how that career really holds up, and if it can be a stressful job where you’re always busy. ​

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

​​I gain that the real estate development field can be a very competitive field and stressful one. ​

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

​​What I found interesting in the field is that auditors in a way can create a better circumstance for themselves if they really grind and work hard to get to a better position. ​ 

Photos: Steve Cornejo, Summer Intern 2026

Who did you meet with today?

Today I met with Kevin Gonzalez, a bilingual senior vice president and regional manager, and Tom McCullough, an executive vice president.

Where do they work? What does the company do? 

They work at a bank called Commercial Bank of California. They are based in Southern California DTLA. The bank helps businesses by providing checking and savings accounts, loans, credit cards, financial education, and small business lending.

What did you learn today? What were some highlights? 

I learned about the importance of financial literacy, building good credit, and creating a budget. I learned that you can build credit by paying your bills on time, using a credit card responsibly, and putting utility bills in your name. We also talked about what can damage your credit, such as late payments, missed payments, bankruptcy, and irresponsible credit use. Another highlight was learning about small business loans, SBA programs, and how banks help businesses grow.

What are you looking forward to most during the internship? 

I am looking forward to learning more about how banks work behind the scenes, meeting professionals in different roles, and gaining skills that will help me manage my finances in the future.

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

The most interesting part was learning how important credit is in everyday life. I didn’t realize that my credit score could affect things like renting an apartment, buying a car or house, getting a loan, and even some job opportunities. It was also interesting to learn how banks support small businesses and help them succeed.

Photos: Eric Chang, Summer Intern 2026

Who did you meet with today? 

Today we got to meet the amazing team that works behind Blueprint! More specifically, we got to personally talk to John Sun, the fantastic CEO of Blueprint, who took us to get boba and talked to us about the rich history of Blueprint. We also got a talk from Akil Manley, who taught us about the ins and outs of project management and how Blueprint chooses the projects they support.

Where do they work? What does the company do? 

Everyone we met today works at Blueprint, the amazing company where me and five other high school students are interning this summer. The company builds affordable charter schools in California, Washington, Texas, and Colorado; enriching the surrounding communities and furthering the development of exceptional education.

What did you learn today? What were some highlights? 

Today we learned about how Blueprint got its start and what Blueprint’s mission is. Additionally, we learned how the non-profit runs and the thought process of the CEO, John Sun, when choosing to support a project. Furthermore, when we talked to Akil Manley, the Regional Directory of the Southern California Region of Blueprint, we learned about the specific details of project management. We learned how Blueprint chooses who to work with and how they come to agreements with their partners. For example, we learned about location, zoning, affordability, laws, etc.

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

I think that I can speak for most of the interns when I say that we learned that real estate development can be really tough. There are a lot of difficult conversations that you need to have in order to be successful in the field. You also have to balance so many different variables like laws, land/environmental issues, and different push back from different communities. Furthermore, we also learned that you need to be very realistic about what you want when you want something to be developed. Unless you have unlimited resources and time, you can’t always get 100% of what you want, and it is hard trying to accept that as a client and vice versa ​Click or tap here to enter text.​

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

What I found most interesting about what I learned about real estate development was the fact that there are so many aspects that go into actually completing a project. I always see construction and development in my community, and it seems like everything happens so smoothly and fast but today gave me a different perspective on what goes down when developing property. For example, Akil Manley was explaining the process of due diligence, which is the process of checking every single detail around a certain property before anything is even built, which shows how tedious the work can be.

Photos: Christian Acevedo, Summer Intern 2026

Who did you meet with today?

I met with Greg Martin (Insurance Broker) and he talked about his experience as an insurance broker and helping people choose what insurance best fits them and their needs. He gave an in-depth explanation of the different types of insurance and generally what regions would normally buy that and which regions would not.

Where do they work? What does the company do?

He works at High Ground Insurance Inc. and the company helps people choose what insurance would fit best with their recent issues. Whether they need cyber security or Flood coverage, essentially they will help connect their client with insurance they would need.

What did you learn today? What were some highlights?

I learned that there are a lot of different insurances that you can buy.  A highlight would be when he would talk about his hardest things to do at his job. I didn’t expect the hardest thing to do at his job to be human resources or asking an employee to retire. Another highlight would be when he would talk about his day to day being an insurance broker, the amount of driving you do shocked me.

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

One insight I gained was the amount of things you are liable for in case of an accident whether that be how you’re treating your employees or if there is an earthquake and it messes up your project. I also gained insight on no matter what stage you’re at with real estate, how the presence of a lawyer is a necessity as well as certain coverages (depending on your region).

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

What I find most interesting about the field is the amount of speaking and genuine connection you make with your clients. He expressed how he gained friendships with his clients, and it shocked me that somebody you met on a business level could turn out to be a friend because of the connections you create while doing your job.

Photos: Emely Bonilla, Summer Intern 2026