As an intern at The American City Coalition (TACC), a nonprofit organization focused on neighborhood revitalization, I proposed a marketing plan that position’s TACC as a thought leader and resource for the community. TACC specializes in communicating with the surrounding neighborhoods by assessing needs and developing programming that is beneficial to all stakeholders. Based on the needs assessments, I developed informational brochures and flyers for programs such as Business Improvement Districts, Relocation Opportunities, Community Focus Groups, Housing Choice Programs, Roxbury Cultural District and TACC. Working at TACC I was exposed to the private and public side of housing opportunities and challenges that the city of Boston faces. I learned that to sustain a thriving neighborhood it is imperative to have strong communications between the residents, government officials, and urban planners.

I spent the summer interning at the Southwest Boston Community Development Corporation, a nonprofit committed to creating affordable housing, preserving green spaces, and raising local voices. I had the chance to be involved in a variety of projects, including community outreach and work related to contamination of the Neponset River. However, my most significant contribution was working with the Green Team, a local youth staff hired to restore the urban wilds of Hyde Park. I worked alongside the youth, but also assisted in education and programming, such as coordination of a garden project in a local retirement home. A big takeaway of this summer has been witnessing the local voice’s importance in shaping a community’s health, and this is something I hope to continue exploring in my future career.

This past summer, I had the fortune of working for the Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA), formerly known as the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA).  The BPDA oversees all planning and development projects that occur within the city of Boston. Since the switch from the BRA to the BPDA, one of the agency’s main goals has been to be as transparent as possible. My main projects this summer have involved collecting data on past development projects so that the BPDA can provide citizens with answers to any questions they may have about how and why they approve certain projects, and the public’s role under Article 80 of the Boston zoning code. Through this internship, I learned how the planning and development experts at the BPDA attempt to plan and develop Boston for the future, while at the same time ensuring that the public is involved and informed in everything the agency does.

As an intern at the Planning Office for Urban Affairs, I was able to explore the world of affordable housing from the developer standpoint. The Planning Office for Urban Affairs is a nonprofit founded by the Archdiocese of Boston that works to provide affordable housing to the Boston community and suburbs of the area. This summer, I conducted research and collected data from past projects the Planning Office developed to create a database of information to refer to for future projects. I produced a survey and contacted our partners working at these projects to compile the data in Excel and create a presentation for the Planning Office to use going forward and distribute to their Board of Trustees. This project helped me hone my data analytics through the use of Excel and refine my business writing skills. My manager gave me complete control of the entire project, which allowed me to take leadership I did not imagine having as an intern. My experience at the Planning Office not only helped me work on my hard and soft skills vital for working in the business field, but on a deeper note it exposed me to the lack of affordable housing in the city of Boston and prepared me to go and make a difference in our community.

This summer I had the privilege of working with the Real Estate Development team at Preservation of Affordable Housing, Inc., a mission-driven nonprofit that seeks to acquire and rehabilitate high-impact properties to develop mixed-income housing. Community transformation to this degree of comprehensiveness requires a keen understanding of creative methods for integrating buy-in from both the public and private sector. At POAH, I gained insight as to how crucial this stakeholder participation is. This came to life for me in the form of drafting formal project proposals to the BHA, contributing to community briefings in Mattapan, and preparing financial modeling for investors and lenders, to name a few. The principal assignment I was tasked with was learning how to underwrite properties in order to evaluate their profitability, risk, and long-term viability. I was able to build a financial model that demonstrates a property's Internal Rate of Return, increasing POAH's competitiveness with potential investors. One of my favorite aspects of the summer was having the capacity to exercise my artistic side in meetings with leading architecture firms. Overall, I experienced firsthand the immense potential of nonprofit work when the mission is clear, innovative, and powerful. Finally, I was profoundly impacted by the incredible call for wide-ranging dexterity and passion within the individuals who choose to devote their skills to firms such as POAH.

This summer I interned at the Department of Neighborhood Development within the Real Estate Management & Sales (REMS) division. REMS is responsible for the maintenance and assessment of city-owned land, with the ultimate priority of transferring city-owned land to private firms and contractors for development. I assisted in these goals by performing land disposition research and development analysis of various DND projects. My primary focus for the summer has been the Mattahunt Woods development project. The goal of this project has been to determine the feasibility of development of the Mattahunt Wooded areas and the potential development uses which could be introduced. The project has required me to complete data analytics, conduct hands-on site research, and coordinate with community groups and members. My internship with DND has allowed me the flexibility and freedom to manage a development project from its infancy and experience the whole development process firsthand.

This summer I had the pleasure of interning at Mattapan Cultural Arts Development (MCAD). MCAD is a grass roots non-profit organization that seeks to bring more art to Mattapan by re-branding the neighborhood as a cultural destination. Originally founded to attempt to achieve an art space in Mattapan, the organization has evolved into facilitating different art events, connecting the Mattapan community to the arts, and networking artists within the community. Through MCAD, I was able to utilize my interests in social justice and art historical scholarship to make real community impacts through art. There were always many simultaneous projects occurring, and I got to participate in several, such as planning the first annual Neponset River Arts Festival. Another of my main projects has been to spearhead the creation of a cultural assets map of Mattapan. I worked with different archival information at the Boston Public Library to research historically and culturally relevant sites, and am in the process of designing possible layouts for a walkable tour of Mattapan. The information and designs that I contribute will provide a foundation for a final map that will tangibly point to the many assets of Mattapan. My experience at MCAD has shown me different ways to interact with the community as well as given me research, design and communications experience that I will be able to use in any field I pursue. 

This past summer I had the opportunity to intern at MassHousing, a quasi-public housing finance agency for the state of Massachusetts that focuses on providing loans for the creation or preservation of affordable housing units. There I worked as a Rental Underwriting Intern, where I participated in a variety of projects ranging from assisting in a Multifamily Acquisition/Refinance deal to helping identify potential new business opportunities. I conducted extensive research into 40B affordable developments, which are affordable housing projects that are granted special dispensations from local Zoning Boards of Appeals, in order to create a comprehensive database that would be useful to different groups within the division. After compiling this key data, I assisted in analyzing it in order to identify potential refinancing opportunities. My time at MassHousing gave me an inside look at the positive role specialized government agencies can have in improving the lives on individuals, especially when these organizations are given the freedom to adapt to shifting market trends. The research skills and the practical knowledge I obtained this summer will be of value in any field I choose to pursue. I am grateful for the in-depth look I had into the real-estate and urban planning industries and the nuances synonymous with each.

I spent the summer interning for SkyLab Boston, a nonprofit that helps entrepreneurs in the Roxbury, Dorchester, Mattapan area get their small businesses off the ground. SkyLab also helps with small businesses sustainability. The main project I worked on over the summer was called [G]Code House. [G]Code House is a co-living, learning, and working community for girls of color ages 18-24. It is meant to be an alternative post-secondary education option for girls who want to pursue coding. My work with SkyLab and [G]Code House allowed me to utilize my marketing skills. Since [G]Code House is still very new I set up social media accounts to promote the idea. I also created a presentation about the house and neighborhood that is used to show designers, architects, and contracting companies the potential in our house. I was also able to learn new skills, such as grant writing. I had never applied for a grant before this summer but since I was working in the non-profit world I quickly learned this useful skill and helped get money for our projects. Working with SkyLab and [G]Code House was a great first internship experience where I learned a lot and got to put skills I've learned in school into action for the first time.

This summer I worked for the Newmarket Business Association, a business association that helps out the businesses and people in the Newmarket area. The Newmarket neighborhood is at the intersection of the South End, South Boston, Roxbury, and Dorchester, and is a booming industrial commercial district.  As an intern, I worked on a variety of projects that had me testifying at the Boston City Council to meeting Mayor Walsh, and to sitting in on meetings with the Kraft Group. I also was lucky enough to be involved in presentations about possible new businesses in Newmarket, which illustrated how important community involvement is for neighborhoods. As an English and Philosophy double major I was excited to be exposed to how businesses operate and gain a better understanding of what it takes to run a business. My main project this summer involved research into the opioid crisis and the impact it has on the area’s businesses and community. As a result, I have become much more aware of how intertwined real estate, community, and government are, and am able to apply this new understanding to my own life at BC and at home. 

I interned at Utile, an architecture and urban planning firm.  Utile takes a comprehensive, research-based approach to urban design with a focus on public engagement.  I worked on Envision Cambridge, a multi-year, community-driven plan for the future of the city. I created photo documentation of the different character zones along the Mass Ave and Cambridge Street corridors. I then compiled a set of open space metrics and created variations of map-based, observational, and intercept surveys to collect information on how people interact with the public realm. I administered these surveys in parks and plazas along with the help of other interns. These data sets will help voice the opinions of a diverse group of community stakeholders and shape ongoing plans for Cambridge’s open spaces.  The designers at Utile exposed me to the grit and dedication necessary to innovate in the face of complex political and socio-economic factors.

My name is Martin Scheuring and I am a Boston College international student double majoring in Political Science and Communications. I am German-Mexican and I grew up in Baja California, Mexico –at a driving distance from the US. Living in Boston and attending BC has been my first time experiencing the American culture. I have been fascinated by the opportunity to meet so many different kinds of people and to learn about the world with a different perspective. I am an extrovert and I enjoy working with people from different backgrounds. I have a strong interest in real estate and I aspire to work as a Realtor one day, always taking into consideration the ethical circumstances behind development and gentrification.

This summer I interned at Local Initiative Support Corporation (LISC), a nonprofit intermediary committed to equipping community-led organizations with the funding, capital, and know-how to fuel historically underserved neighborhoods in Greater Boston with opportunities to thrive. My foremost project entailed illustrating the impact of LISC’s investment and involvement in the community development process, compiling and synthesizing data that I ultimately formatted into a multilayered map for the corporation’s website. This information – comprised of details concerning LISC’s loans, grants, AmeriCorps program, and their multitude of clean energy and community engagement initiatives – not only paints a comprehensive picture of the scope of LISC’s 35 years in the Boston area for public discourse, but also serves as a guide to help frame LISC’s goals moving forward. The opportunity to work with LISC enhanced my knowledge of the diversity of programs in the field of urban development, heightened my fascination with socioeconomic systems, and fortified my desire to apply myself in the space of nonprofits.

I spent this past summer interning at MassHousing, a quasi-governmental housing finance agency based in Boston. The Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency is a public/private hybrid that acts as a lender for the development and preservation of affordable housing throughout the state. They don’t use any taxpayer money and raise capital by selling tax-exempt bonds that serve as the capital to fund projects. I specifically worked alongside the Rental department and assisted in the creation of a comprehensive database for the agency’s 40B developments. Chapter 40B is a unique Massachusetts law that allows developers to bypass cumbersome municipal zoning in order to facilitate the expansion of affordable housing developments across the state. The compilation and centralization of this data on MassHousing’s 40B projects allows the Rental group to create a marketing plan that will better target potential affordable housing developers looking to take advantage of such a special piece of legislation. This in turn will help MassHousing to further its mission to provide and preserve affordable housing for all Massachusetts residents who need it. This internship gave me the incredible experience of working with a housing finance lender that had an overarching mission of community development through the provision of affordable housing.

This summer, I worked as an Asset Management intern at Codman Square NDC, a neighborhood development corporation that strives to promote a safe, sustainable, and affordable living environment in Dorchester. My main responsibility was to read through audits, regulatory agreements, closing binders, and various other original documents in order to complete a deal book, which is a detailed summary of financial projections, regulatory obligations, and other indispensable information, for each of fifteen properties that the company owns. By compiling these facts and figures into one succinct document, the property managers will be able to more efficiently review, amend, and share information regarding the properties. Some of my auxiliary projects involved adapting a health and safety survey to include questions about Codman’s new smoke-free housing policy and inspecting nearly 100 affordable housing units for repairs and other improvements. I am so grateful to have had this internship opportunity because I believe my firsthand interactions with Codman’s tenants have helped me to appreciate the importance of developing affordable housing in Boston and the impact that nonprofit organizations have on communities.

As a Political Science student with experience in the not-for-profit sector, I was eager to gain an understanding of the for-profit world during my last summer as an undergraduate student. Branchfood, my Corcoran Center internship placement, is a co-working space in the financial district of that promotes food entrepreneurship by uniting Boston’s community of innovators, advisers, investors, industry professionals, and mission driven organizations that are passionate about creating a sustainable food system. One of my favorite projects as Branchfood’s Communication & Development intern was conducting and analyzing interviews with community members to develop buyer personas and streamline marketing strategies. Overall, the fast-paced, passion-driven start-up culture at Branchfood taught me that there will always be a need for for-profit companies in confronting societal problems. 

This past summer I interned at Next Street Financial, a Certified Benefit Corporation that works to drive economic development, and wealth and job creation by offering advisory and capital solutions.  Next Street’s clients include nonprofits, social enterprises, government agencies, and small businesses.  Over the course of the summer I was involved in multiple projects, often at the same time.  I was part of a team that advised nonprofits and small businesses in Appalachia looking for capital from local and national foundations.  I was also on a team advising a company that facilitated skill based volunteering by linking entrepreneurs with experienced advisors.  I produced case studies, conducted research, analyzed data, created slides for Master presentations, and used a lot of excel.  My internship at Next Street was a hands on experience, which allowed me to learn more about advisory and consulting practices.  I am really grateful for the people I worked with, and the projects I worked on because now I know I want to go into consulting after Boston College.

This summer I worked as a Development Review Intern at the Boston Planning and Development Agency, (formerly known as the Boston Redevelopment Authority). The BPDA guides physical, social, and economic change in Boston’s neighborhoods with both a vision for the future and a respect for the past. In its re branding the agency seeks to be more transparent in its processes. In my primary project I focused on data driven transparency by collecting and analyzing 2016 small project data and community benefit information. From this data I created an infographic that conveys the data clearly and aesthetically. The infographic fact sheet is a precedent for future data collection and presentation. Also, in collecting and analyzing community benefit information I aided in the efforts to standardize community benefit classification and requirements, with the goal of setting a higher bar for developer’s contributions. Through my internship I strengthened both my analytical and creative skills with an emphasis on orientation to detail. I also gained valuable insight into the complexities of Boston’ development processes, specifically how the BPDA facilitates such processes with growing efforts to promote responsible development in the City of Boston.

I interned at Rebuilding Together Boston (RTB), a nonprofit organization that strives to provide safe and healthy housing through organizing and collaborating with volunteers to provide critical repairs to homeowners that would otherwise be unable to afford them. This summer I had a number of responsibilities. I managed RTB’s social media accounts, creating and designing content for their Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter platforms. I analyzed critical data and trends from various surveys and prepared my findings in the 2017 Annual Report. I developed a personalized database for RTB that is able to both store essential information about volunteers and homeowners and generate reports. In addition, I started work on developing a survey for outreach in the Mattapan community, as well as jumpstarted a Rebuilding Together initiative geared towards women helping women called SheBuilds. This experience gave me an opportunity to develop data analysis and other business related skills along with teaching me about the importance of nonprofits and the profound impact that they can have on both individuals and the community as a whole.

I spent the summer interning with the City of Boston's Department of Neighborhood Development, working within the Real Estate Management and Sales unit. The Department of Neighborhood Development prioritizes working alongside communities in order to best understand and improve Boston's neighborhoods. My primary focus throughout the summer was on series of sites located in Southern Mattapan, which are currently undeveloped parcels located within a fully residential neighborhood. Through field visits, research, and community input, I established a comprehensive assessment of the area and its neighborhood context, developing reports, maps, and data sets for the division. With multiple meetings with liaisons throughout different departments, I was ultimately able to craft and propose a development plan that would carefully balance the needs of the city alongside the wants of the local community. Working with the Department of Neighborhood Development taught me immensely about the technical issues and logistics that governments face on a daily basis, highlighting the importance of community involvement in civics and the ways in which that involvement can be used to help a city like Boston flourish.