Joe Sokolowski, Junior Finance Major

Being fortunate enough to be a part of numerous RCPD site visits this semester has been quite a rewarding experience.

My family doesn’t have much of a business background, so I was never around it growing up and therefore didn’t get an immersive experience in the industry until I got to college.

I felt when I was deciding on my career aspirations, I went off a lot of assumptions that I had developed through my time at RCB. The visits I went on with RCPD allowed me to gain real world experience in the industries I was interested in, and it allowed me to solidify my assumptions and feel more confident where I wanted to end up.

I’ve always had a passion for real estate but didn’t truly understand where it could take me until I went to a storage warehouse facility that was hosted by Alliance HP. Here, I was able to see how Alliance’s acquisitions teams worked with Colliers leasing and B. Tait Builders to complete property restoration, source investment funding, and lease the property in an efficient manner.

These trips were also phenomenal opportunities to network with professionals not only because you see them face to face, but they see your dedication to the industry by putting time aside to attend the visit, and it motivates them to help YOU. For instance, I went on a JPMorgan site visit in NYC where we met with Rowan alumni Michael Connallon, and he gave us great insights into the internship hiring process that you could only get in a warm networking setting.

I have had a wonderful experience attending the RCPD site visits this year and I’m looking forward to what they have planned in the future!