internships

Who did you meet with today?

Today we had the opportunity to meet with Mera Baker Ramos and Sarah Kollman

Where do they work? What does the company do?

Mera Baker Ramos works for Pacific Charter School Development, a nonprofit organization that helps charter schools to secure affordable, high-quality facilities to address educational inequality.

Sarah Kollman works at Young Minney & Corr, LLP, which is a law firm that specializes in education law, along with lending their services to educational facilities, and nonprofit organizations.

What did you learn today? What were some highlights?

I learned that the practice of law is a little more strict than many other career paths but that the skills you put in are almost the same; the difference is that you need a test and that only some states in the U.S. allow for someone to take the Bar exam without attending law school. A highlight that I learned from this is that just like every other career path you should try to make connections with people in the same career path you desire, speak to counselors who can help you lean on resources that will direct you toward your chosen career path and lastly to listen and read more about your career path so you don’t start with a blind eye and you can be more knowledgeable about this desired career path

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

I was given the opportunity to learn how practicing law falls into real estate due to the fact lawyers are involved in real estate transactions such as buying and selling property which means they also review and draft contracts.

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

Some things I found most interesting about this field are how even though practicing law and real estate can be stressful and strict, you can manage it be ensuring you take breaks, and break up projects into smaller tasks. Another thing I found interesting is how this plays a role in the real world. This field of work can impact the lives of others by using the expertise you learn in the field of law to help others achieve their desired outcome from their situation.

Who did you meet with today?

Today we met with Cameron Smith, Jared Gragg, and Nate Hall.

Where do they work? What does the company do?

They work for Overaa, a construction company. Right now, they are working on the Palace Theater in Oakland to make it into a new home for BayTech Charter School.

What did you learn today? What were some highlights?

Today we learned about Overaa and what they did. We also learned about the process of converting a former theater into a school. A highlight was when we toured the active construction zone, then finished off with getting a deep look into the construction plans and a bit of computer-aided project designs.

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

We received insight into how construction companies operate and what measures they must take to ensure a safe and efficient construction process. We also learned about the various conditions and requirements set by the City of Oakland in order for the construction of the BayTech school to occur.

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

What I found most interesting about today was the fact that the site we visited was a historical building, as it was over 100 years old. That meant that more permits were required for the construction to begin; it also meant that certain things had to be preserved from the initial state of construction. For example, specific water fountains were preserved, and specific flooring was also preserved.

Who did you meet with today?

Today we met with Keivan Abidi and Cyrus Amani.

Where do they work? What does the company do?

Keivan and Cyrus work for Pacific Charter School Development and LCA Architects respectively. LCA is a company that designs modular buildings for commercial and industrial buildings such as Lighthouse.

What did you learn today? What were some highlights?

Some of the things we learned today were the step-by-step process of the creation of the think tank classroom, from how the floor plan was created in 3D before building them in the classroom to avoid conflicts and save time. We also learned on how they connected all the electrical wiring that the think tank space would need to become an actual classroom space.

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

Some great insights that we learned from this field of real estate development is that there are many different elements that come together when creating a modular building in a space like the one that was made in our campus, from planning to creating it in 2D then sending in the plans to get them approved not only by the clients but the city, then building it in the time frame that was given to them.

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

The most interesting thing that I learned from this specific field that it is easier and shorter to create a modular building inside another building than to build new buildings from the ground up.

Who did you meet with today?

Today we had the opportunity to meet with Mary Grace Houlihan.

Where do they work? What does the company do?

Mary Grace works with Pacific Charter School Development, a nonprofit organization that supports charter schools in finding affordable, quality facilities through site acquisition, project management, and financing. The mission of the organization is to break the systemic inequality in education by scaling educational opportunities for students in communities that have been under-resourced.

What did you learn today? What were some highlights?

Today I was enlightened by the work of the crucial thoughts and necessities that come with work in architecture for public schools. I was also shown the process which makes these plans more realistic and attainable. Processes, such as construction modifications to public schools or other state-funded buildings, are reviewed to ensure specifications and other modifications comply with California’s codes, like Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations. Especially for public schools, DSA ensures the modifications follow the rules of California codes to comply with structural safety as well as things such as fire and life safety and even accessibility and sustainability.

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

This opportunity has opened my mind to the complexity of California codes. I was not aware of this complexity and the effect it had on how buildings are constructed and modified and how the rules and regulations limit the opportunity of other modifications due to it having to pass the review of safety issues and other essential rules. This also informs me of the complexity of public schools being built due to having to undergo a lot of restrictions in order to ensure safety of children.

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

Many times, we see rules as a limit to your brain creativity, but something I found most interesting is in the way it opens my mind to new ideas that can not only follow the rules and regulations of the California codes but still live up to the expectations of creativity and how it all comes to life. I also enjoyed being able to discover the full process that goes before construction and development because most people don’t see the behind the scenes of how buildings are made. Finally, I appreciated the opportunity I was given to see the creation process and the vision of how modifications can be created in real life just as visualized in one’s mind.

Who did you meet with today?

Today we met with Tony Burnett, Rebecca Scalfaro, Amber Merrigan, Morgan Parker, Halli Floyd, Gregory Hunter, and Shayla Mellenthin from Colliers and Joyce Cunningham from Cushman Wakefield.

Where do they work? What does the company do?

They work for Colliers International Real Estate, in the Downtown Oakland firm. The company focuses primarily on helping buy, lease or sell apartments and commercial real estate properties with a limited amount of retail properties. Colliers also provides appraising and property management services.

What did you learn today? What were some highlights?

Today we learned about Colliers and what it did along with the process of evaluating a construction site for what could potentially become a school. A highlight was when we visited a site that will soon become a parking lot for a school.

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

We received insight about property zoning done by the city and how it impacts what sort of things you can do with that property/land. We also learned that industrial/commercial properties often make great spots for school construction projects.

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

What I found most interesting about today, was the fact that the site we visited was initially going to be an extension to another school but due to various reasons, it only became a parking lot for the school. I was also very interested in Mr. Gregory’s knowledge of how the Google building at NASA Ames came to be, due to receiving a public investment because it was a global company.

Photo Credit: Alejandra Arias, Fall Intern

Who did you meet with today?

Today, I had the opportunity to meet with Stephanie Guerrero, a project manager, Jennifer Afdahl Rice, an executive director, Mary Grace Houlihan, a project director, Anna Johnson, a director of finance, and Akil Manley, a regional director.

Where do they work? What does the company do?

Everyone previously mentioned works at PCSD, which is a non-profit organization that helps charter schools find and develop facilities. PCSD is really unique because they are one of the few organizations that recycle their money. They help schools with low interest loans to which schools eventually pay PCSD back over time. 

What did you learn today? What were some highlights?

Today I got to learn about the background of some of the PCSD employees and their journey of how they got here. Anna had a law degree and had always worked within charter schools which led her to becoming a project manager, but after some time, she switched to become a finance director. On the other hand, Jennifer always knew that she liked math and wanted to help the community so she did so a couple years traveling in Africa where she worked on many loans for a while and she eventually found PCSD, which incorporated her desire for helping the community. Next, Mary Grace used to work in the public sector, transit to be specific, and now she is a Project Director which is less stressful than her previous job. In fact, she mentioned that this would be her retirement job because of how great it is. Next is Akil, and he actually graduated with a political science degree and told us his story about working with charter schools for 10 years. Then he taught us about the factors that PCSD looks at before deciding on a location for a school. 

Some highlights of the day included the advice that the PCSD team gave us. For example, Anna said, “people find their path in a lot of different ways”; which means that everyone’s path isn’t just one straight line and people have to manage their way through obstacles that get in their way. Similar to Anna, Akil said when “you’re not ok, it’s not over “ and “it’s your grind.” This means that it’s all about the work that you decide to put in. These specific quotes resonated with me because it goes to show that it doesn’t matter where you got your degree from or where you are from because both Anna and Akil studied something different from what they are currently working in, which goes to show that they are still growing and learning. 

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

One of the key insights I gained was understanding what Akil takes into account when trying to find a new building for a school. For example, if it is convenient for both teachers and students, which involves looking at traffic and public transportation. That was only an example but there are many more factors that Akil and the PCSD team take into account.

Did you become more interested in the field after today?

After today’s experience, I found myself more interested and motivated in pursuing real estate after high school because of the exposure from today and the encouraging words that the team shared.