Student Spotlight: Jacqueline “Jackie” Salazar Turns Summer Experience into Career Momentum
Jacqueline “Jackie” Salazar is beginning her senior year at Nazarian College with new industry experience and opportunities ahead. The marketing major and real estate minor spent part of her summer shadowing commercial real estate professionals at Marcus & Millichap, an opportunity that grew from her involvement with CSUN’s Real Estate Club.
At Marcus & Millichap, Salazar sat in on training sessions with agents and interns, observed how professionals approached cold calls and client conversations, learned industry terminology and saw how teams reviewed their progress.
“I got to understand their lingo,” Salazar said. “I was able to see how everyone interacts with each other and the environment they work in.”
The experience helped her better understand the differences between residential and commercial real estate and gave her a clearer picture of potential career paths. Salazar is now exploring areas such as multifamily real estate as she considers where she might eventually specialize.
She also saw how strengths she has developed as a student can translate to the workplace.
“I’m pretty social, and I feel like that’s good when it comes to a career, especially in real estate,” Salazar said. “I can build good relationships, and I communicate well.”
As the fall semester begins, Salazar will have another opportunity to put those skills into practice. She and fellow Real Estate Club members will travel to San Diego for an ICSC conference where they will have opportunities to connect with professionals from real estate, development, architecture, law, investment and local government.
“I’m excited, but I’m nervous for that,” Salazar said.
She is also looking forward to a new semester with the Real Estate Club, including opportunities to bring industry guest speakers to campus and host events for students interested in the field.
“I’m so excited for this semester and just watching our club really expand and grow,” she said.
For Salazar, campus involvement has played an important role in both her professional development and her college experience. As a first-generation college student and commuter student, joining Kappa Kappa Gamma during her freshman year helped her make friends and build a sense of community. She later found another community through the Real Estate Club where she connected with students who shared her professional interests.
“I always wanted to get more involved on campus, apart from my sorority, but I never really found a club I liked,” Salazar said.
Finding the right organizations ultimately brought Salazar friendships, leadership experience and professional connections. Her advice to students beginning a new semester is to get involved and seek out opportunities to build their own communities on campus.
She is on track to graduate in the spring and plans to begin working toward earning her real estate license during her final semester.
From gaining firsthand industry exposure over the summer to expanding her professional network this fall, Salazar is entering the new academic year with a clearer understanding of where a career in real estate could take her and how the connections she has made at CSUN can help her get there.
About the Real Estate Club
CSUN’s Real Estate Club connects students interested in real estate with opportunities to expand their industry knowledge, build professional relationships and learn about potential career paths.
After being inactive for several years, the student organization was revived by CSUN students and is continuing to grow its presence on campus. This fall, members plan to participate in Meet the Clubs, welcome industry guest speakers and organize events for students interested in learning more about real estate.
Learn more:
Students interested in the Real Estate Club: https://www.instagram.com/csunrealestateclub?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==&igsi=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==
Learn more about the Bookstein Real Estate Center: Bookstein Real Estate Center (DNCBE) | CSU Northridge