2022 PREA Scholarship Recipients

Lyra Gonzalez is a fourth-year undergraduate at the University of San Diego working toward a business degree with a double major in Real Estate and Business Administration. She is currently interning at Nordic PCL with the finance and accounting team, collaborating with high-valued commercial construction and building restoration projects. Gonzalez hopes to use her education and real estate background to help the communities in her hometown of Honolulu.

Rebecca Irizarry is pursuing a Master of Science in Real Estate Development at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation and expects to graduate in May 2023. She serves as Vice President of the cohort’s student council. Prior to beginning at Columbia, Irizarry worked as the Office Director and ESG Strategist for Vanbarton Group, where she directed the day-to-day office operations, managed all in-office construction projects, and worked as the HR liaison for the firm. Having cofounded the company’s ESG committee, Irizarry led the ENERGY STAR and WELL Health-Safety certification process for the East and West Coast commercial, residential, and retail assets. She administered diverse hiring practices and shaped firm-wide trainings.

Lindsay E. Johnson is a rising junior at DePaul University in the Driehaus College of Business, majoring in Real Estate and minoring in Finance. She plans a career in commercial real estate development or construction management. Johnson is working at TW Constructors in St. Louis as an Accounting Intern.

Ellen Paik is a dual-degree MBA/MPA candidate at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard Kennedy School. Prior to pursuing her graduate education, Paik served as the Innovation Fund Manager at New Story, a San Francisco–based nonprofit pioneering innovative solutions to combat global homelessness. Before New Story, she was an investment banking Associate at Goldman Sachs. Paik received BA degrees in Economics and Sociology from Wesleyan University.

Kayla Peterson recently graduated magna cum laude from Youngstown State University and is a first-year candidate for the MS in Real Estate program at DePaul University. She currently holds her real estate salesperson’s license for the state of Ohio as well as works for Chicago Homes 360 of Keller Williams ONEChicago as the Administrative Coordinator. Peterson hopes to one day own a real estate investment and property management company and be well versed in all aspects of real estate.

Randolph Schlupp, DePaul University

Bryant T. Warmate is a 2024 MBA candidate at Harvard Business School. He is a fuel cell system Engineer at GM. He has a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Penn State and a master’s degree in Energy Systems Engineering from the University of Michigan. His key interest is in energy and real estate. He owns and manages rental properties in metro Detroit.