Opening Doors, Building a Career
Second-year student Amaya Johnson is a visionary. After a relative introduced her to the real estate industry during high school, she became fascinated with studying buildings — seeing beyond their facades and imagining their potential as homes. Determined to realize her career aspirations, she moved from her hometown of Sacramento, Calif. to Atlanta for her dream undergraduate real estate program — at Georgia State University — and a new city to explore.
Being awarded the Dr. Colquitt L. “Buck” Chandler, Jr. Memorial Scholarship in Georgia State’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business helped Johnson, a Class of 2027 real estate student, start turning her dreams into a reality. In addition to relieving her family of the financial burden from student housing costs, the scholarship propelled her onto the path toward a career in commercial real estate.
“It allowed me to focus on my studies more,” said Johnson. “It lifted a weight off my shoulders.”
Shortly after enrolling at Georgia State, Johnson was already making great strides in her career. She enrolled in and completed the 75-hour Georgia real estate pre-licensing course and earned her real estate license while still a first-year undergraduate student. Receiving scholarship support also enabled her to be a member of the inaugural cohort of Panthers in Chicago, one of the Robinson College’s signature Panther Immersion Programs.
Students selected for a Panther Immersion Program cohort complete a six-month series of training sessions and briefings preparing them to productively participate in business meetings, networking events and engagement opportunities in major business and political markets. With Panthers in Chicago, Johnson gained insight into the commercial real estate industry and networked with a variety of companies, such as Wells Fargo, LaSalle and Prologis.
“I felt like a kid in a candy store being in a big city and studying buildings,” said Johnson, thinking back to her Panthers in Chicago experience. “Panthers in Chicago really opened my eyes to the market outside of Atlanta and allowed me to network. Immersing myself in the industry really furthered my passion for it and being with people who were also interested in commercial real estate, having that sense of community, was lifechanging.”
For Johnson, donor-funded scholarships were the difference between envisioning her academic goals and being able to pursue them without worries of financial shortfalls.
“I wouldn’t have taken these risks without scholarships. Knowing that I had support from individuals who saw my potential motivated me to do well,” said Johnson.
“Their contributions are changing lives. They definitely changed mine.”
Learn about some of the many ways Georgia State donors are making a meaningful difference at giving.gsu.edu.