Stokes Awarded Community Impact Summer Stipend
Robyn Stokes ‘10 is a recipient of the 2009 Community Impact Summer Stipend. Stokes, a dual degree MBA/MPS Real Estate student, received a $2,500 stipend to support her pursuit of an internship with a private nonprofit organization. Community Impact, a Johnson Graduate School of Management student organization, provides students with volunteer activities and community consulting projects that assist students in their understanding of relationships among the for-profit, non-profit, and public sectors. The club hosts an annual charity auction to raise money for a local nonprofit organization and to fund a student’s nonprofit summer internship.
The summer of 2009 finds Stokes making a difference in post Katrina New Orleans, Louisiana. Robyn traveled to New Orleans over Spring Break on a work trip organized by Cornell’s College of Architecture, Art, and Planning. After spending the week seeing firsthand the need in the region, she was interested in learning more about redevelopment in the area. Utilizing her network Robyn secured an internship with the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority (NORA). The New Orleans Redevelopment Authority was created by the State of Louisiana to eliminate and prevent the spread of slums and blight in the City of New Orleans. Following Hurricane Katrina, the agency was also given jurisdiction over the 4,400 homes in Orleans Parish held in the Louisiana Land Trust.
“It is no surprise that Stokes is spending the summer with NORA and is a recipient of the 2009 Community Impact Summer Stipend,” stated Kimberlee Swartz, Coordinator of Career Services of the Cornell Program in Real Estate, adding that Robyn’s past involvement with nonprofits and her desire to pursue a career in urban real estate development make her an excellent choice.
“Immediately after starting my internship, I was able to put the skills that I have learned in the Program in Real Estate into practice,” said Stokes, adding “Since starting June 1, I have had the opportunity to review Purchase Agreements, write and review Requests for Proposal, and interact with citizens and community groups. My primary project for the summer is to investigate land ownership and methods for potential assemblage in three target areas for NORA. These sites will be used for both commercial and residential development projects.” Dual degree MBA/MPS Real Estate students have an opportunity to complete two summer internships during their three years at Cornell. Stokes spent the summer of 2008 as an intern with Urban American. Urban American has hired Program in Real Estate students as interns and into permanent positions in each of the last three years. Urban American is a real estate investment and management company located in West New York, New Jersey, which currently owns and operates approximately 13,000 workforce apartment units in the New York metropolitan area.
Robyn is from Indianapolis, Indiana and graduated from Spelman College with a bachelor’s degree in economics. Following graduation, Robyn worked for Duke Realty Corporation as the Regional Marketing Manager. In March, 2005, Robyn launched RCS Consulting Group and continues to serve as President of the company. In this role, Robyn works with companies to develop and implement strategic marketing plans, brand strategies, and relationship management programs to help grow their business and meet their corporate goals.
“Given my interest in urban redevelopment, this internship opportunity has provided an excellent training ground for any future endeavor, said Stokes, adding “Plus, I have had a chance to enjoy sights, sounds, and culture of the Crescent City.”