Campaign Funding Expands Burnham-Moores Center’s Real Estate Awareness and Diversity Initiative Program to More High School Students
Image is of READI student tour at Cruzan
The Burnham-Moores Center for Real Estate (BMC) launched its Real Estate Awareness and Diversity Initiative (READI) program in 2022 in an effort to promote real estate as a career path for high school students in underserved communities in the San Diego region.
The mission of the READI program is to provide high school students with an understanding of the variety of career opportunities that exist within real estate through access to local companies specializing in all areas of real estate.
The READI program is a partnership between the BMC and non-profit organizations in San Diego. In 2022, the first cohort of 14 students from Barrio Logan College Institute (BLCI) went through the four-week READI program. The students visited four different commercial real estate companies in San Diego and met with company representatives who offered an overview of their respective companies and described various career opportunities within their real estate sector. Students enjoyed “dinner at the desk” with company representatives while at each company site visit, which allowed the students and those at the company to interact on a less formal, more social basis.
“We are helping to create a space for students to interact with industry professionals in a way that will open their eyes to real estate as a possible career path,” says Joe Bertocchini ‘01, senior manager of student, industry and alumni development at the BMC “Students have shared that through these casual conversations, they can now envision themselves as an asset manager, real estate accountant or architect. It’s a testament to the, ‘if you see it, you can be it mentality’.”
The success of the READI program’s inaugural cohort in 2022 demonstrated a need for additional programming in other parts of San Diego. As a result, the Burnham-Moores Center for Real Estate committed to expanding the programs and now collaborates with the Barrio Logan College Institute (BLCI), Project Next, Junior Achievement and Nativity Prep. These organizations serve junior high and high school students from underserved communities in San Diego.
By the end of 2024, 11 cohorts of high school student cohorts (with an average of 15 students per cohort) will have gone through the READI program. Given its success and rapid expansion, it was evident that additional funds would be necessary to fund the READI program. Dennis and Janet Cruzan stepped up and designated over $125,000 of their contribution to the Campaign for Student Success for this important initiative. Dennis has been an active member of the BMC’s Policy Advisory Board since 1997, and he and Janet are parents of a USD alumnae.
“Since I entered the CRE business many years ago, it has been perplexing to me why there were very few (like none) black or brown professionals in our industry,” says Dennis Cruzan. After many years of attempts with little success, I believe READI may just be the answer to helping San Diego CRE industry widen its net. What we recognized is that San Diego doesn’t have a supply problem, but rather a demand problem of black and brown applicants. This is largely due to the lack of awareness (or even knowledge) of this cohort of our industry. READI’s focus is to expose high school kids from various parts of San Diego of the possibilities of CRE as a career. Planting seeds!”
Increasing the pipeline of interest in real estate careers within a diverse group of students through the READI program inspired other Campaign donors. Greg and Elisabeth Fowler, parents of two USD undergraduate students and Daniel Epstein, grandparent of a USD undergraduate student, also provided Campaign gifts to support READI. Greg Fowler and Daniel Epstein are also members of the BMC’s policy advisory board, and both have built successful multi-family housing companies.
“In just two short years, the initial concept we had about the READI Program, to broaden awareness about real estate as a career for students within underserved communities, quickly blossomed,” says Stath Karras, executive director of the Burnham-Moores Center for Real Estate. “We went from one cohort in 2022 to six cohorts in 2024 and have expanded our partnerships from one organization (BLCI), to now collaborating with four organizations. The program generated great interest within the San Diego real estate community and companies wanted to get involved to help ensure greater diversity within real estate for our future leaders. With this rapid growth and excitement for the READI program came the need for financial support. We are grateful for Dennis and Janet Cruzan, Daniel Epstein and Greg and Elisabeth Fowler’s unwavering support of the READI program to help ensure its future success.”
View a few recent READI program company tours:
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