This summer, Barron Collier Companies welcomed ten interns across its development, engineering, insurance, utilities, and marketing divisions. Braden Dubbs, Troy Maldonado, Tekoa Secore, Nuria Jordan, Julia Frostino, Kelsey Gable, Jake Jaffe, Maria Ramirez Mendoza, Edvin Mejia and Lesley Hernandez Gonzalez each brought unique perspectives and talents to their departments while gaining valuable hands-on experience. Throughout the summer, they worked alongside industry professionals, contributed to meaningful projects, and developed skills that will prepare them for their future careers.
Development, operations and finance intern Troy Maldonado is an economics and government double major at Wesleyan University. Interested in pursuing a career in real estate, Troy joined Barron Collier Companies to explore the many facets of the real estate industry while gaining experience in his hometown of Naples. Throughout the summer, he worked on market research, investment analyses and presentations for company executives, strengthening both his analytical and communication skills.
“When I saw this opportunity, I thought that it would really open up paths and give me an opportunity to explore all of the verticals of real estate while doing it in the place where I grew up,” said Troy.
“One of the most valuable skills I’ve gained has been learning to analyze potential opportunities and investments — not only in real estate but also venture capital and joint ventures — and then
communicate those findings in a clear and concise way. Those skills can carry over into many different roles within the real estate industry,” he said.
Finance major Nuria Jordan from Florida Gulf Coast University interned alongside Troy in the development, operations and finance team, where she collaborated on investment research, market analyses and presentations to company leadership. As the only woman on her intern team, Nuria valued the opportunity to strengthen her communication skills while working alongside professionals and fellow interns.
“One of the most valuable skills I’ve gained has been learning to prepare and present to the executives in a concise, yet informative way. As the only woman on my intern team, I learned how to communicate with different types of people, bring our perspectives together and combine our strengths to present as a team,” said Nuria.
“Seeing how passionate everyone is about their work is really inspiring for us interns,” she added.
Through Barron Collier Companies’ partnership with The Immokalee Foundation, Lesley Hernandez Gonzalez, a senior at Immokalee High School, spent the summer at Ave Maria Utility Company, where she explored her interest in engineering while learning how utility systems support the community.
“There’s more to it than just turning on the faucet,” Lesley said. “This internship made me realize the amount of thought, planning and hard work that goes into something people use every single day.”
Marketing Intern Julia Frostino, a recent graduate from the University of Mississippi, worked with the marketing and public relations department to support community events, create digital marketing materials, manage social media content, and worked on planning and executing a community event in Ave Maria from start to finish. At the end of her internship, she accepted a full-time position with Barron Collier Companies as Marketing Coordinator.
Through mentorship and real-world experience, Barron Collier Companies continues to help interns build valuable skills while preparing them to become future leaders in their industries.
