Through your resume and recommendations, we have a clear sense of your professional path to date. What are your career goals over the next 3-5 years and what, in your imagination, would be your long term dream job?
Growing up, I loved every opportunity to visit New York City whether it was to play in Carl Schurz Park or discover something new in the Museum of Natural History. From the glossy skyscrapers in Midtown to the cast-iron buildings in SoHo, I have long been enamored with the city. Thus, my goal immediately after graduation is to join a top-tier real estate investment firm such as Blackstone or Brookfield. Bringing transferable finance skills as I pivot from banking to investing, Columbia is vital to filling my knowledge gaps and expanding my professional network.
From current students Ssss and Pppp, I learned that Columbia’s real estate program produces industry leaders by integrating rigorous coursework with real life experience. I will take full advantage of courses such as Real Estate Entrepreneurship, Social Impact Real Estate Investing and Development, and Real Estate Transactions to equip me with the academic background necessary to succeed in real estate investing. I am excited to learn from renowned professors such as Ccccc and Llllll.
My long-term dream job is to launch my own real estate investment fund that will shape the New York skyline with buildings that have a positive, lasting impact on the greater community. After working on the construction financing for One Vanderbilt, a rising office tower that will include LEED certifications, green community space, and railroad improvements to Grand Central, I began reading and researching sustainability and advancements in relevant technology. I’ve discovered that New York real estate is severely under served by modern technologies in infrastructure and renewable energy, which has fueled growing social and environmental concerns. No one person or group has all the expertise to solve this complex problem, so successfully improving city living in the future will require collaboration. At Columbia I envision facilitating discussions between the Real Estate Association, Technology Business Group, and Green Business Club to learn from one another and find points of overlap allowing for advanced “green real estate development.”
I will network with Columbia peers and industry professionals within the banking, private equity, technology, energy, and entrepreneurship fields in the classroom and be deeply involved with the Real Estate Association. In addition, I will organize a team to participate in case competitions such as the UNC Real Estate Development Challenge, where I can test my impact initiative in a real-world scenario. Through the Leadership Lab I will build self-awareness and refine my skills to successfully communicate my vision to investors in the future.
Columbia is my first choice program, and the best place to arm me with the academic skillset, network, and leadership tools to join a real estate investment firm and later launch my own real estate investment fund. Combining the goals of profit with enhanced quality of life, I am eager to become a leader within the real estate industry and create a lasting impact on the greater New York community.