Gabriela Olvera recently completed an internship with Seward Redesign, Inc. This is what she and her supervisor Renee Spillum had to say about the experience:
As an intern for Redesign, I have gained invaluable insight into community and economic development. At the beginning of this internship, I focused on familiarizing myself with tools that Redesign uses to complete their work. I sat in on meetings that introduced me to the economic, and housing issues that Minneapolis communities face. As I became more comfortable and familiar with the projects at Redesign, I was assigned more tasks that dealt with the real estate development process, and aided Renee with the leasing process for the Five Square building. As an intern I was also exposed to various Minnesota based policies that are meant to foster the success of local businesses. In particular, I helped gather appropriate documentation, to complete the Façade Improvement Grant for local business in and around Seward. Through my work at Redesign, I was fortunate enough to comprehend the multifaceted world of community development, and the importance of community organizations as they play a large-role in community and economic development.
Supervisor Comments: Gaby’s internship timing coincided perfectly with the renovation of a 20,000 square foot building called “Five Square” in Seward. She assisted me in day to day tasks – researching things for the building (what is a knox box and do we need one?), assembling and closing leases with me, and the various practical physical tasks associated with redevelopment – painting out color samples, running to the hardware store, framing and hanging art in the common area, surveying tenants to see how many keys they would need, and helping coordinate and execute the building’s grand opening. She gained confidence over the course of the project and was a great help to me. I am glad she had the chance to get exposed to the intensity and occasional chaos that is inherent in a small, driven community based organization.
