internships

Who did you meet with today?

Today, we met with Keivan Abidi, Mary Grace Houlihan, and Jennifer Afdahl Rice, who helped us understand their roles and experiences. They provided a small tour of the office building and insight into this journey.

Where do they work? What does the company do?

Keivan, Mary Grace, and Jennifer all work at the company, Blueprint. Keivan and Mary Grace have the roles of Project Directors, while Jennifer is the Executive Director. Blueprint is a full-service nonprofit real estate development firm. This company partners with charter schools to improve learning environments and even create new ones, in order to give more learning opportunities for all students of all backgrounds in different communities, mainly under-resourced ones.

What did you learn today? What were some highlights?

Today, I learned more about what we interns will be engaging in during our time with Blueprint, from the scheduling and the people we will be meeting with. A highlight was learning more about the people we met with today and even each other [the other interns] to build connections.

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

Insight that I have gained into the field of real estate development is that the projects have more to them than one may think. With people in more specific fields and their teams working together, this is what ensures a successful outcome. Moreover, the development process can take a long time, taking up to 2-3 years, and it can be very costly depending on what is wanted.

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

After today, I found it interesting how there are multiple groups of people involved in real estate development, such as the roles of the broker, investors, architects, etc. Also, I was interested in the different kinds of analysis that are done to ensure a site is feasible, taking many aspects into account to finalize the development, such as what needs to be done and its surrounding area.

Who did you meet with today?

We met with Sherise Henderson, who gave us a tour of Ednovate Brio. Later that day, we also met with some members of the Blueprint team.

Where do they work? What were some key highlights?

Sherise is a senior project manager at Blueprint. Artika Art & Architecture is the company which designed the school building. They also participate in other areas, such as construction administration. Some highlights of our visit to Ednovate Brio were seeing the final stages of construction and observing the unique layouts of each room. One of my favorite rooms was the presentation room, which is not designed like a traditional auditorium. 

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

From my experiences on other sites, including today’s visit, I learned that teamwork is crucial for completing projects efficiently. I also realized that architects often face challenges that require them to take a different approach than their original plans.

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

It was interesting to see how the team overcomes building challenges. Analyzing the blueprints created by the architects, who invested their creativity and time into the layouts, was really nice. It was amazing to walk through what started as just ideas.

📸Victor Cobos-Carreño, Summer Intern

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