SIOR, along with the SIOR Foundation, were proud sponsors of the 2020 REEX Summer Program, which took place July 6-17. The program, a collaborative effort between Real Estate Executive Council (REEC) and LEADership, Education and Development (LEAD), provided African American high school students with exposure to the commercial real estate (CRE) industry, the fundamentals of business, engineering, technology, and entrepreneurship.

Students had the opportunity to engage with top academic faculty and professionals in the commercial real estate industry at Baker Program for Real Estate (Cornell University), Center for Real Estate (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), and Herbert Business School (University of Miami). Some of your SIOR peers participated as speakers and judged. The virtual program this year still gave them the opportunity to collaborate, pitch their presentations, attend virtual site visits, and learn and network.

“[I learned] how much goes into designing and formulating a plan for a building," said Winston Wardlaw. "You really have to understand what the community is like, what the people want, what was there before and what is there now.”

“There was so much valuable information coming at me that I wanted to retain, that I don't know if I'll ever get again," said Jalen Hunter. " think it is my future career plan and I'm so in love with the idea of creating communities and doing good. To be able to use a vehicle of wealth creation to help close the gap between African American and White families, which we know at the crux of that disparity is real estate.”