熊猫在线视频

Each July, the Weidner Property Management and Real Estate (WPM+RE) Program hosts an interactive, three-day workshop at UAA鈥檚 College of Business and Public Policy for high school students and recent graduates. The Real Estate Management and Investment (REM+I) Workshop offers a glimpse into the world of real estate investing, rental properties, cash flow analysis, property management, and the various career paths in the real estate industry.

18 participants from 14 area high schools were selected by application to attend at no cost. Students spend the first two days in the innovative Weidner Center for Real Estate Management, learning investment fundamentals and then working in teams to analyze actual properties listed on the market. They gather information and make assumptions to prepare and deliver a presentation to their peers about the neighborhood, property features, competitive characteristics, and projected financial performance of the asset.

This year, each team had an alumni or current student from the WPM+RE Program at their table to help guide their discussion and research. Two of the guests this year, Korben Senden and Brandon Haslett, were previous REM+I Workshop participants in 2022 and 2023. 鈥淚 had never worked with spreadsheets before, so learning how to navigate one was a very valuable skill that I will continue to use. This course has definitely given me a new sense of direction when it comes to my education and future career,鈥� says Charlotte Vassar, an incoming senior in the 熊猫在线视频 Middle College School.

Reflecting on her expectations versus her experience, Dominka Tan, an incoming senior in the Mat-Su Middle College School, states, 鈥淚 honestly thought we were just going to talk about if a house is worth selling and how to find buyers...so yes, the workshop was way better, way more educational, and inspirational. As a woman thinking about going into this field and into the field of law, it was really inspirational and comforting to see so many other women in the field that are respected and successful.鈥�

A consistently popular activity is the site tours organized on the final day of the workshop. The 2025 visits showcased a variety of asset types, including the Fireweed Business Center (Cook Inlet Housing Authority), Block 96 Apartments (Debenham Real Estate, LLC), City Hall, the Performance Arts Center. Industry professionals 鈥� including some recent graduates from the program 鈥� provided tours and shined a light into their day-to-day world and operations. LONG Building Technologies, Inc. generously sponsored a privately catered lunch for the students on the rooftop of Williwaw Social, and arranged for professionals to network with students during their meal.

An extra unique aspect of this year鈥檚 workshop included a tour of City Hall and a meet-and-greet with Anchorage Mayor Suzanne LaFrance. Students talked with the Mayor and policy director Nolan Klouda, learning more about the city鈥檚 current initiatives to increase and improve housing.

Nery Vargas, an incoming freshman at UAA mentioned, 鈥淚 really enjoyed that the workshop not only included examples, but an opportunity to hear from professionals in the field and their experiences.鈥� Charlotte Vassar added, 鈥淏efore this class I had little to no knowledge about how many career opportunities there are in real estate, and how other companies work with each other in that aspect. I鈥檓 definitely considering a degree in this area.鈥�

鈥淭hat is the goal,鈥� explains Terry Fields, Program Coordinator and Associate Professor for the WPM+RE Program. 鈥淲e began offering these workshops to generate awareness of this career pathway at the high school level, giving students the opportunity to discover this track early in their academic careers and positioning them to benefit from the WPM+RE Program for a full four years 鈥� i.e. networking, internships, scholarships, travel opportunities, etc.鈥�

For participants like Nery Vargas, Tucker Haley, and Lucas Schweizer 鈥� recent graduates and incoming freshman at UAA 鈥� the benefits don't end with the workshop. Students who attend a REM+I Workshop and ultimately continue on to pursue the property management and real estate degree program at UAA will receive an extra $1,000 scholarship in their freshman year.

If you have any questions or comments regarding the REM+I Workshop, reach out to Terry Fields at tjfields@alaska.edu or (907) 786-4136 to learn more. Applications for next summer鈥檚 workshop will be available in January 2026.