Ten college students got an up-close look at Mid-America and the retail real estate business through internships this summer. Offices in Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin hosted interns to help educate and inspire students interested in real estate careers.

Students had the opportunity to do hands-on work in all aspects of the business, including preparing property marketing packages, researching demographics and geolocation data, analyzing markets for potential tenant locations, assisting with accounting and IT functions, and accompanying brokers on property tours. Mid-America recruited interns through various avenues including outreach to an internal resource list curated by the Illinois team’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, LinkedIn, local universities and other school organizations.

Sam Coleman (pictured at left), a senior at Tulane University who is pursuing a business administration and management degree, interned with the Chicago-based Investment Sales Group. Coleman, a Maryland native who applied for the internship via a LinkedIn post, reflects on his time at Mid-America: “I have enjoyed gaining valuable experience in the commercial real estate industry under a successful team and learning from supportive and knowledgeable team members. I am proud to have worked on a variety of projects on multiple deals across the Midwest and to have put myself in positions where I was able to quickly learn the inner workings of deal processes.”

Brinaro White (pictured at right), a sophomore at Morehouse College studying business administration and management, says this about his internship in the Chicago office; “I’m most proud of the way I grew personally throughout this internship. My biggest takeaway from Mid-America is what I’ve learned while spending time with professionals across the different disciplines (Property Management, Tenant Rep, Accounting, Investment Sales). I will keep these experiences with me in the future as I work towards accomplishing my entrepreneurship goals.”

White was recruited through MetroSquash, an out-of-school program for Chicagoland public schools that combines academic support, competitive squash and enrichment opportunities to empower students to realize their potential and make their mark.

Of the 10 interns hosted by Mid-America this summer, seven were in Illinois, two were in Michigan and one was in Wisconsin. The internships are part of Mid-America’s collective effort to develop and support diverse new talent at the college level across the Midwest.