–Program aims to create new career pathways for New York City public high school students—
–End of term project winners to receive tickets to New Year’s Eve Ball Drop Celebration–
University Settlement, a social services institution that fights NYC poverty and inequality through innovative programs, and Jamestown, the design-focused real estate investment and management firm, today announced the conclusion of their second internship program at One Times Square, home to the iconic New Year’s Eve Ball Drop Celebration. Over the course of the seven-week paid program, twelve interns gained valuable commercial real estate knowledge as well as insight into a variety of affiliated career paths. To celebrate the end of this year’s program, the team selected as the winner of the end of term project will be granted tickets to attend the Ne w Year’s Eve Ball Drop celebration to ring in 2024 at One Times Square.
“Many of our young neighbors who participated in this internship are on the path toward becoming the first people in their families to go to college,” said Melissa Aase, CEO, University Settlement. “Receiving real insights into the commercial real estate industry from a diverse set of successful professionals will potentially make a big impact as these ambitious students begin planning their futures – you can’t be what you can’t see. We’re grateful to Jamestown for its thoughtful and committed partnership, a real investment in the strength of our communities.”
“Creating and nurturing local talent is essential to the future of our cities. Our partnership with University Settlement enables us to invest in the next generation of leaders and helps build a foundation for equitable urban development,” said Michael Phillips, Principal and President, Jamestown.
With the mission to create a pipeline for the next generation of real estate professionals and invest in local New York communities, the program connects public school students from diverse backgrounds to industry professionals and mentors. Through a carefully curated curriculum, the internship class learned about the types of work, capabilities, and skill sets that jobseekers encounter in the real estate industry through a multitude of hands-on activities, such as asset valuations, SWOT analyses, photo and video creation, and individual and group presentations. Interns also gained valuable insight into career paths that go hand-in-hand with the industry, including architecture, design, construction, and asset management.
Supporting interns’ journey from high school to college, the program additionally included college prep workshops, access to college advisors who provided guidance on the college application and financial aid processes and support developing personal essays.
“Interning with Jamestown this summer has been an incredibly enriching experience for me, giving me vital tools and greater confidence as I enter my senior year,” said Maya Gourianov, rising senior at New Explorations into Science, Technology and Math (NEST+m). “The opportunity to explore various real estate career paths – including analyst, architect, and marketing coordinator – has given me a holistic understanding of how the industry works overall. Participating in hands-on activities, including creating captivating promotional videos and crafting blueprints, I’ve gained practical skills and insights into the professional world, which I am confident will serve as a solid foundation for my college journey and eventual career path. The workshops led by University Settlement’s College Passport team will be immensely beneficial as I apply to colleges this year – I now have a much greater understanding of how the financial aid process works, as well as a stronger sense of how admissions officers are evaluating candidates.”
“Participating in this internship was very eye-opening – I discovered different career paths in real estate that could have untapped potential for me,” said Andy Lau, rising senior at Stuyvesant High School. “Learning about how real estate analysts use models to project the returns of opportunistic, value-add, and core plus investments was exciting, and I’ve been inspired to broaden my thinking about potential careers. I’m now aware of opportunities I’d never imagined before.”
“Through close partnership, our organizations are creating an updated model for summer internships that pairs industry-specific career exposure with college and career readiness instruction that is specifically tailored to that experience,” said Bintou Sankareh, College Coordinator, College Passport. “Jamestown’s additional support of the program this year helped us meaningfully enhance our interns’ experience – we developed a more formal and facilitated curriculum, coordinated a more selective and supportive application process, and will be providing letters of recommendation as well as ongoing support in their college and job searches.”
With 260 students having applied for the 12 internship positions, participants noted they were inspired to consider careers in the commercial real estate industry in the future, now equipped with the skillsets and wealth of knowledge to further their career path through college and beyond.