Steps to get the internship: I took my professor's class and established a professional connection with him by going to office hours. He needed help for this project and contacted me asking if I'd like to assist his company.
Day-to-day activities: My day-to-day activities included attending meetings and placemaking through catalytic real estate development proposals in downtown cities in Michigan.
Most rewarding: It was exciting to learn about real estate development and meet stakeholders at the state and local levels.
Biggest challenge: The biggest challenge was the fact that this industry was almost completely foreign to me and I was almost always interfacing with people at least 20 years older than me.
Most important thing learned: I learned that real estate development can impact cities in amazing ways and that good development takes time. Conversely, poor planning and shoddy construction can negatively affect communities for decades.
Key advice: Get your hands dirty as soon as possible. Bug professors and industry professionals whom you admire until they give you an opportunity to either volunteer or intern, and leverage that to get a paid internship or job.