Colliers Internship Jumpstarts UA Little Rock Student's Future

From touring warehouses in the Port of Little Rock to reviewing commercial lease agreements and scouting potential business locations, University of Arkansas at Little Rock student Ryan Gillenwater spent his summer learning that commercial real estate is anything but a desk job: his experience offered a front-row seat to the fast-paced world he had only studied in the classroom.

This June, Gillenwater was one of just seven interns selected for Colliers' month-long summer internship program in Little Rock. Earning a spot in the program was a turning point in his academic and professional journey. He hadn't imagined this path when he first arrived on campus as a business management major, but a presentation by real estate instructor Elizabeth Small introduced him to a career he hadn't previously considered.

The internship didn't just expand Gillenwater's knowledge of commercial real estate-he was able to zero in on where he thrives, discovering that brokerage offered just the right mix of a field where he could put his analytical mind to work while building relationships and closing deals.