Averi Rodriguez (Class of 2028): Attending Professional Networking Events - Breaking Ground Real Estate Panel (3 points)

 

I attended the Breaking Ground panel hosted by the Future Business Leaders of Spelman, featuring guest speaker and Spelman alumna Erica Paige Kenan.  The panel centered on real estate as a vehicle for wealth creation, with a particular focus on how undergraduate students can begin building financial stability early.  The discussion emphasized accessible strategies for ownership, investing, and long-term planning, while encouraging students to think proactively about wealth generation regardless of their primary career path.

Although I am no longer pursuing a career in finance and am instead focused on healthcare, this panel was especially meaningful to me.  It reframed wealth-building as something that can exist alongside, rather than in competition with, other professional aspirations.  I found it empowering to learn how real estate and other income-generating opportunities can function as side ventures, providing financial security and flexibility while I work toward my goals in healthcare.  The panel challenged me to think more expansively about how I can build wealth intentionally without being confined to a single industry.

The insights shared also connected to concepts I have encountered in coursework related to economics, leadership, and long-term planning, particularly discussions around assets, investment decision-making, and sustainability.  By grounding these ideas in real-world examples, the panel reinforced the importance of financial literacy as a transferable skill—one that remains valuable regardless of career field.  Overall, the experience strengthened my understanding of how strategic wealth-building can support and enhance my broader personal and professional goals.

By,

Averi Rodriguez