Internship a great learning and working experience for 4th year Urban Development student

October 23, 2016

Dianne Ramos is a 4th-year student in the Urban Development program.

From May to August, Ramos completed an internship with Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), a leading financial and professional services firm specializing in commercial real estate services and investment management.

The internship gave her insight into what it is like to work in the real estate industry, experience she could not get in the classroom.

Ramos initially came to Western to study Science, and took a geography course in first year as an elective. This was the course she most enjoyed and she was drawn to urban development. Ramos enjoys Urban Development due to the focus on analyzing data, and looking different patterns and trends in urban environments.

“I like to identify the underlying factors of a place and their impacts in shaping a city, region or country.” said Ramos.

The internship provided a variety of experiences in a small, but growing, Canadian division of a global company focused on commercial real estate.

“I think a lot of urban development grads are unsure about the path after graduation,” said Ramos. “Many think they’ll go into commercial real estate”

While Ramos still unsure as to whether she will be entering the commercial real estate industry, she said the summer internship was “a great learning and working experience for an undergraduate student.”

For her part Ramos is leaning toward land-use planning and is interested in looking at aspects of innovative urban design such as walkability and transportation and her long-term goals include working on solving urban design and social problems in developing countries.

“It’s great that Western has the opportunity to provide the option for internships for students,” said Ramos, adding that it is an opportunity all students should look into. “You get real life experience as to the type of professions before you. It gives a taste of where you might want to go in your career.”