Starting the day in the classroom at Central City, Christine and Gina shared their story of how they created their company, Five Crown Homes, and how they transform houses into beautifully designed homes for families. The students also met with real estate agent, Pat Fisher, who described the essential skills needed to be an effective realtor and how to develop them.
“I enjoyed meeting two women who are business owners. They did an amazing job teaching us about their career path. They were humble, hardworking, intelligent, creative and articulate – I could see how much they enjoyed their job!”
– Alyson 11th grade, Value Schools
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| Our students visiting a house under renovation. | ||
After the classroom session, our students visited a house currently on the market where they learned what Christine and Gina consider when deciding what is possible. Next, the group visited a home currently being transformed. Christine described the challenges they faced during construction and the thousands of decisions they make during the renovation. Our students witnessed the results of every decision the two entrepreneurs made in the process.
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| Students using a spreadsheet to analyze whether the project is viable. | ||
"I started the day with an interest in interior design, but after hearing about the process of real estate and construction, they sparked my interest in the power of creativity and teamwork."– Alina, 10th grade, Value Schools
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The students then returned to the conference room at Value Schools headquarters for a working lunch and created a budget for the house they visited to discern whether it was a viable project. As a team, the students determined it was not a feasible project based on the current asking price. Gina shared how to analyze deals, raise capital, and weigh the financial risk of investment.
Our students were impressed by the level of trust and honest communication Christine and Gina demonstrated throughout the day. Based on an exit survey, every student strongly agreed or agreed the experience raised their interest in residential real estate and construction, and inspired them to work harder in school.
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| Our students were amazed by the transformation created by the 5 Crown Homes team. | |
Opportunities like this provide our students a chance to connect their education with real world experience. If you would like to discuss creating an exciting, interactive experience for our students, either at our schools or at your business or organization, please contact me, David Doyle, Value Schools Foundation President, at [email protected].