Embracing Alaska Life and Alaska Housing

For Stephen, an internship at Alaska Housing has provided opportunities to learn, make connections and contribute his time and energy to a mission he believes in – providing Alaskans access to safe, quality, affordable housing.

Originally from Colorado, Stephen came to Alaska when he was offered a track and field/cross-country running scholarship at the University of Alaska Anchorage. He said he felt drawn to the uniqueness of Alaska and the idea of a smaller population and tight-knit communities. Once here, he quickly discovered a love for the state.

“The outdoors is so alluring, it feels like every weekend I’m doing something new outside,” Stephen said.

From trail running to back country skiing, sledding and playing hacky sack on the summit of Flattop, Stephen has embraced an active Alaska lifestyle and found a community of friends. But his interest in the state has expanded beyond an appreciation for the outdoors, he has also embraced learning about Alaska’s unique geography, communities and housing needs.

Helping People Find Housing

Stephen is currently pursuing a double bachelor’s degree in marketing and business management with a concentration in real estate and property management. As he prepared for his junior year, he looked for an opportunity to gain practical experience and learn more about the state.

Stephen first heard about AHFC when he met Training Coordinator Sandor and Housing Program Specialist Aimee at a Weidner real estate career fair organized through UAA. “They both spoke so highly of Alaska Housing and I liked their goal of helping people find housing,” Stephen said.

Inspired by this connection, Stephen entered AHFC’s summer internship program working for the public housing department in Anchorage.

Listening and Learning

As part of his internship, Stephen worked with another intern to conduct a city-wide survey of tenants to gauge their comfort level with technology and help them make the transition to paying rent online. Stephen said the opportunity to have conversations with so many tenants has given him more insight into the work of Alaska Housing.

“It's really cool to humanize the people you work with and work for,” Stephen said. “We've even been able to facilitate a few smaller projects because of those conversations.”

Shadowing Property Manager Rhonda has also given Stephen perspective on what makes a great housing professional.

“She took us interns under her wing,” Stephen said. “She'll take us out and we'll do an inspection and engage with a tenant. Then we'll come back and she'll show us the procedure. I learned so much quicker by doing it that way.”

Apart from learning procedures, Stephen said the most important things he’s observed has been the shared attitude among the public housing employees.

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“The common denominator here is that people care. They take the extra step to understand where their tenants are coming from and they know what is going on in their lives.”

- Stephen, AHFC Public Housing Summer Intern, Anchorage

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A Mission-Driven Career

Looking ahead, Stephen is considering continuing at UAA after he graduates to pursue an MBA before stepping into the real estate sector. He credits his internship experience with introducing him to the mission-driven side of real estate management and hopes to continue down that path, saying that he is considering a career in public housing or rural housing development.

“This has been an amazing summer,” Stephen said. “I finish each day and week fulfilled and happy. I wake up and feel like I get to go to work rather than having to go to work – I get to go do something good, meet new people and learn.”

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An internship at Alaska Housing offers students a transformative season of skill building and professional growth. To learn more about our paid internships, contact jobs@ahfc.us.