internships

Who did you meet with today?

Today we met with Keivan Abidi, Project Director for Blueprint, Jennifer Afdahl Rice, Executive Director at Blueprint, and James Heugas, also Executive Director. Next we met with Robert Nickell, he is Executive Vice President at HJ Sims, an investment bank. Lastly, we met with Lili Huang and Victoria Valle, who both work at CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen)

Where do they work? What does the company do?

Keivan, Jennifer, and James all work at Blueprint, and at Blueprint they help find facility solutions for charter schools in underdeveloped neighborhoods. Robert works at HJ Sims, which is a capital market company that is privately owned. Their goal as stated from their website, “A wealth management, investment banking, and institutional services firm helping individual investors, organizations, municipalities and institutions realize their potential since 1935.” Lastly, Lili and Victoria work at CLA, an accounting firm where they provide audit, tax, consulting, and wealth advisory services.

What did you learn today? What were some highlights?

Today I learned that there is a lot of money to be made in the world of accounting, and you don’t have to be the smartest person to get into accounting, all you need to have is a will and confidence to do a lot of work. I also learned that most jobs will train you on the job so you don’t have to worry about not knowing anything because you will get help along the way. The highlight of the day was definitely talking to Lili and Victoria; they were very down to earth and laid back. They spoke their mind and would answer any questions that we have, whether it be about the real world, or work related, they were there, and they had me and the rest of the interns at Blueprint having a good time, and while doing that they still managed to give us a lot of information about accounting. Another highlight was also meeting with Robert. He was also very kind and his presentation that he had prepared gave us a better understanding of HJ Sims and what they do.

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

Some insights that I got into the field of real estate development is that it majorly depends on the finance side of it. If there is no money or funding for the property and renovation, then obviously nothing can be done. With no money everything that happens after is only an idea that could never be complete.

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

What I found most interesting is that you can get into accounting without needing to be smart. I would’ve thought that if you are working with a lot of numbers for countless amounts of time, you would need to be excelling in math but from the meeting with CLA, it doesn’t seem that way at all.

Who did you meet with today?

Kevin Gonzalez (Senior Vice President Regional Manager DTLA)

Thomas E. McCullough (Executive Vice President Administration)

Where do they work? What does the company do?

Kevin Gonzalez and Thomas E. McCullough work at Commercial Bank of California which  is a private bank.

What did you learn today? What were some highlights?

Today, I discovered some fascinating insights about personal finance and banking. I learned that you can create your own credit card using your own funds, which won’t impact your credit history. This can serve as a protective measure for managing your finances. Additionally, I realized the importance of being strategic about maintaining a good credit score. I also gained valuable knowledge about banks. For instance, if a bank has $100 million in capital, it has the potential to expand its lending capacity to $1 billion and beyond. One of the highlights of my day was meeting Kevin; it was a great experience to engage in conversation with him. 

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

I gained some valuable insights about the real estate market today. It’s a highly competitive field, but it’s also one that offers significant opportunities for those willing to engage. One key takeaway is that you don’t necessarily have to put down 20% when purchasing a property. There are various strategies to lower that initial investment, such as exploring options for business loans or other financing methods. This flexibility can make entering the real estate market more accessible than I initially thought.

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

I found it particularly fascinating to learn about the banking industry and the strategies for attracting clients to financial institutions. One of the most intriguing insights was how interconnected such as real estate, business, and law are with one another. 

📸 Estrellita Segundo, Summer Intern

Who did you meet with today?

Dena Harte (Senior Vice President/ Team Lead)

Simon Wu (Vice President /Income Property Group)

Where do they work? What does the company do?

They work at City National Bank which is a larger bank that works with both private companies but also people like me and you. They are part of the company that I got to talk to today. They are focused on the real estate side, meaning that they look at a property to see if they are income producing and what they might not be best fit for the bank.

What did you learn today? What were some highlights?

Some of the things I learned today include that after COVID, both malls and offices have become significantly less productive in finding tenants, resulting in many being left vacant. I also learned how banks evaluate real estate; the concepts of Class A, B, and C properties were clarified for me. I had heard these terms throughout the internship but could never really visualize them. However, the presentation they shared with us was very helpful in this regard.

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

Some of the insights I gained from the presentation were about how important the surrounding area can be when evaluating real estate. For example, if I were to open a pizza place, having a Costco nearby might not be viewed favorably by a bank. Understanding these factors is crucial, as they can impact the likelihood of attracting tenants. I learned that this consideration is a significant aspect of entering the real estate market

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

One thing I found interesting about the field is just how much work goes into all aspects of the business and the property.

📸Estrellita Segundo

Who did you meet with today? 

Gary Blackwell 

Erik Lieu

Rudolfo Martinez

Favio Solares

Roger Brennan

Where do they work? What does the company do? 

Gary Blackwell – EPI Construction –  Commercial construction company – Recognized for delivering high quality projects across a diverse range of sectors, helping businesses & schools build their legacies.

Eric Lieu – Project Manager – EPI Construction – Contributes to the successful execution of construction projects within the company. He has a background in architecture and now works as a project engineer.

Rudolfo Martinez – EPI Construction – Supervisor, manages the construction project

Favio Solares – Alliance College-Ready Public Schools -> Director of Project Management – – experience in various roles within the organization – He has been involved in significant projects and initiatives aimed at bettering educational facilities and services for the past 20 years.

Roger Brennan – Supervisor, manages construction project

What did you learn today? What were some highlights? 

Watch what’s going on & understand it to the best of your ability -> Ask questions 

Love what you do -> You’ll never work again in your life – In the sense of your job feeling tiring or demanding because you will always wake up and enjoy what you do

Money won’t matter if you are not happy with what you do!!

It’s fulfilling being able to see what you do -> Gary mentioned doing the marathon and passing by finished sites and being able to point out projects he worked on and having a sense of  fulfillment

See what’s out there -> Be open to things 

Ask as many questions – Things start to click and open things up

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

The hardest thing to come by has been electricity -> Power & Elevators. Sometimes a project can be done months ahead of time but won’t be ready to use because it can take a long time for them to get the power running as well as the elevators.

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

The thing i found most interesting today was being able to see the process of a construction site, and how those scraps of either metal or wood and all other materials eventually turn into our day to day buildings and continue to be functional for various decades down the road.

📸Juan Amador, Summer Intern

 

Who did you meet with today? 

Today we met with LeRhonda Lofton and Brenda Maldonado who both work at a charter school called “Equitas Academy.” Along with them we met Joseph Wilson, Project Director of Blueprint. Lastly we met with Greg Martin, President/Chief Executive Officer at “High Ground Insurance Services, Inc.”

Where do they work? What does the company do? 

​​LeRhonda and Brenda both work at a charter elementary school called “Equitas Academy” soon to welcome new middle school students to their school. Joseph Wilson is Project Director of Blueprint, which is a non profit, real estate development firm that helps build charter schools in areas in need of them. Joseph helped oversee the project of Equitas Academy. Lastly, Greg Martin works at a company called “High Ground Insurance Services, Inc.” and by the name, the company helps with insurance for businesses.

What did you learn today? What were some highlights? 

​​Today I learned that the location where Equitas Academy was built used to be an area where armored trucks that were used to transport money to banks would be stored. Joseph explained that in the building, it was all mostly hollow with one giant vault where the money was stored. It was cool to hear about the process of how the school was built and all the obstacles that they had to find a work around. Some highlights from today was the tour of the school, where they showed us an upstairs playground for the students. It was very cool to see. Another highlight was meeting with Greg Martin to talk about the insurance side of real estate development. It was helpful to hear all about insurance and how Greg called it the most important industry which inevitably, it really is, everyone needs insurance on something.

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

Some insights that I got from the field of real estate development is that it can be a very tricky process, and everything has to be done well because they have to stick exactly to the budget. It was cool to hear some work arounds, like finding a way to utilize the amount of power a building is already receiving and making sure that they don’t have to get more power because it’s a long process and they have strict deadlines for projects, wanting to get projects done as quickly as possible, but also done very well. They design buildings accordingly, based on factors like power, or even neighbors in the neighborhood. They always want to make sure that the school is more helpful than harmful.

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

What I found the most interesting about the field is that it is all interconnected with multiple fields like business, engineering, construction, architecture, law, insurance, almost everything you can think of really, and all of these fields all work together to keep a nonprofit organization like Blueprint to keep doing what they are doing and I find that amazing and really cool, it’s all one big system.

📸Jonathan Melendez, Summer Intern

Who did you meet with today?

We met with Richard Berliner and Rahel Zewdu, who are both involved in designing the exterior and interior of a project.

Where do they work? What were some key highlights?

They work for a company called ‘Berliner Architects’. The company’s goal is to turn regular buildings into schools. Individuals from the company work together to provide the best service to their clients. They meet their standards while guiding them through the proper steps. 

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

I discovered that the process of building a school isn’t as simple as it seems. There are many components that go into it. For instance, architects must meet with the clients to discuss the plans and receive feedback. It takes several meetings before they settle on a design because they have to decide on the layout, color, textures and more. 

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

It was fascinating getting to learn more about architects and what they do on a daily basis. I learned that they don’t only focus on designing the build but also making sure that everything is in order. There are other components that go into it like surrounding areas, traffic control, public transport, budget and supplies. 

📸Victor Cobos-Carreño, Summer Intern