少数族裔辅导的最佳状态:BOMA/Chicago的奥利奖学金如何提升商业房地产职业生涯

In the commercial real estate industry, 不可避免地会有少数群体的人是房间里唯一的人的情况. Like everyone else, minority professionals want to excel in the workplace, and the importance of shared resources, education, and mentorship for everyone in the room cannot be understated.

While some mentorships within any industry come naturally for some, 其他人可能需要更有意识地发展导师关系，并找到一个“安全的空间”，公开、诚实地讨论职业目标和挑战.

获得有意指导的需要只是互联网的诸多好处之一 Reginald L. Ollie Scholarship (also known as the “Ollie” Scholarship), created by the BOMA/Chicago Foundation in 2005.

Not only does the Ollie Scholarship provide a full ride for the 不动产管理员(RPA)/设施管理管理员(FMA) valued at $10,000, 它还将少数民族聚集在一起，讨论他们共同的专业经验，并为晋升提供持续的支持. Through the scholarship’s mentorship program, 奖学金获得者不仅可以谈论任何挑战，还可以制定应对这些挑战的策略.

这种导师的机会，加上对知识的追求和对职业机会最大化的渴望，吸引了她 Ebony Andry to the scholarship.

“我知道任何人都可以得到一个RPA——我真正需要的是一个导师.” Ebony says. “While I was growing my knowledge through the RPA program, 有一个安全的空间来谈论挑战，并制定应对这些挑战的策略，这让我在个人和职业上都得到了成长.”

Ollie指导计划将一名在商业房地产行业工作的导师与一名历史上代表性不足的群体的学员配对，以接受现实世界的学习和RPA指定的职业指导. The more Ebony discovered about the Ollie Scholarship, 她越意识到这个项目太好了，不能错过，不能申请. 2016年，Ebony获得了Ollie奖学金，在那里她获得了全额学费，以获得RPA.

而RPA课程的指导和全额资助是Ebony申请奖学金的主要原因, 她很快意识到，作为奥利奖学金获得者的荣誉是另一个机会.

“Not only are you at an event, honored in front of hundreds of people in the industry, but you are the person that they are presenting,” she says. “作为首席嘉宾，你有机会见到各种各样的人，让你的脸出现在那里.”

The Real Work And Dedication Begins

As the program began, Ebony was matched with Max Andrews, a Territory Account Manager at Matting By Design, 一家拥有35年历史的公司，专门为商业房地产建筑制造优质定制地板. 在与Ebony合作之前，Andrews实际上已经通过各种项目指导了其他一些人.

埃博尼以前每年上一门RPA课程，费用由她所在大楼的教育预算支付. After winning the Ollie, 乌妮感到了一种自主的感觉，因为她知道自己现在可以加快自己的时间表，每年上两三门课, meaning she could complete her RPA in just over two years. 她也渴望开始指导，她觉得这同样重要.

As Ebony and Max began meeting, 她的专业知识和信心不断增长，两人相互尊重和信任. “From our first meeting, having been a mentor to others, 我认为重要的是要尽可能地放下戒心，这样我们才能从开放开始,” Max says. “我告诉Ebony，我们唯一的规则就是没有规则. 我并不想刻意安排日程，而是想成为她的十大网赌靠谱网址平台. How did she feel about what she was doing in her career? What were her expectations for the program? She opened up from there and shared those goals.”

There’s little doubt that Ebony, through working with Max, has grown personally and professionally, 获得更多的信心和知识，使她的职业生涯更上一层楼，并增强她提出问题的勇气, even in those instances she describes as “being comfortable with being uncomfortable.” Ebony在领导和与她的团队合作方面变得更加有效, set goals, communicate effectively and get the job done.

Today, Ebony is now the Assistant Property Manager with Hines at a 1.3 million square foot, class “A” building.

Developing Your Own Resource Network

马克斯知道，即使他指导乌木和扩大她的行业知识, her growth couldn’t live in a bubble. It would need to live within a passionate network of her peers – a resource network she would have to constantly develop.

“I told Ebony that every time you ask a question, it's your opportunity to form a partnership with another resource. 所以，不要害怕问问题，因为那个人可能是你的十大网赌靠谱网址平台。” he explains. “If that person’s response is the one that you need, 然后你可以学习如何让他再次成为你的信息来源. That’s how you expand your network and gain more knowledge, 因为你的人际网络带来了更多的人，并且随着关系的加强而呈指数级增长. Then you're off to the races.”

Paying it Forward

由于Ebony在奥利奖学金项目中的积极经验, it didn’t take long for the mentee to become the mentor. 马克斯强调了他们多年来的指导如何发展成为一种双向关系, and Ebony has already found opportunities to mentor others. 她有意寻找机会与业内的其他少数族裔见面，一起喝咖啡或吃午饭，并向他们提供自己的十大网赌靠谱网址平台.

Max正在听Ebony谈论她在赢得奥利奖学金和两年后获得RPA后的职业目标和成就, Max couldn’t help but feel proud of his former mentee.

“This is not the same person I met years ago,” he says. “I can hear it in Ebony’s remarks and how she deals with things. It’s very gratifying to see the person she’s become today. Which is what we all wanted.”

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Learn more about BOMA/Chicago's Ollie scholarship on our website, including eligibility criteria and other details. 欲了解更多信息，请联系教育主任Jaclynne Madden jmadden@consumer-group.com or call (312) 870-9608.

奥利奖学金的申请将于2019年12月4日至2020年2月4日开放.