Alex Fontes pursued an entrepreneurial venture updating and flipping houses, gaining experience in project management, home renovation, and market analysis.
How did you get your internship?
During the Fall 2024 semester, I took the PAH 383 Pre-Internship: Building Career Readiness course and that was the same semester that I began my real estate fix and flip business. In one of the PAH 383 class sessions, I learned that I was able to do an entrepreneurial internship which allowed me to focus my time and energy into the business that I had just started. I immediately talked to my professors about making it official by filling out the Internship Work Plan and began my internship that same semester.
What kind of work did you do throughout your internship experience?
A lot of my work experience was doing the actual labor of updating and renovating the home. I installed a support beam, laminate tile flooring, baseboard, interior doors and poured cement. I also had some experience with residential real estate development and project management that I used during my internship. I was in charge of hiring contractors for the electricity, windows, and plumbing. So I had to schedule and budget for these in a timely manner in order for the home to be completed on time.
What was your favorite part of your internship?
My favorite moment in my internship was specifically April 29th, 2025, because that's when I closed on the first property that I flipped. It was a long ride and I felt very proud of myself and my team because of all the ups and downs that we had to endure. Then, that same day we got our third property under contract! It was such a busy day because we were making offers on the other property until the seller accepted and officially closed on our current project. I think I’ll remember that day forever since it felt like I had got a return on my goal of investing in real estate after having pursued that goal for years.
How has your internship influenced your plans for the future?
My internship experience greatly influenced my plans for the future because now I see myself doing this for the long term. Along the way, so many different ideas and opportunities have also opened up within my real estate business. So I plan to take advantage of all of those opportunities and hopefully bring my new ideas to life.
What advice would you give to future interns?
My advice is that students should take full advantage of the internship that they choose to do. Go all in and learn everything you can because you will develop new skills. So just take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way.