Top Left: Cindy Castillo upon receiving her official offer
Bottom Left: Summer associates George Thorne and Lauren Prasfika with CEO Mark Willis
Right: Current associate Jeana Thompson with CEO Mark Willis
There was serious energy at Keller Williams Realty International (KWRI) yesterday as conversations centered around this weekend’s Red River Shoot Out. In Longhorn country, we call this Texas/OU weekend.
“Who is going to the game?” “Where are you staying?” “What are you eating at the Texas State Fair?” And my favorite, “What are you going to wear? It’s supposed to rain!”
When passing through the lobby, I proudly glanced at our two KWRI college associates and it hit me. All three of us are going to the same football game this weekend but will have VERY DIFFERENT experiences. I inquired about their plans and then marveled that these two mature, professional “colleagues” are still college students. Mind-boggling! I would trust either with significant roles in our company.
KWRI College Associates
Last spring, we launched the KWRI college associate program that my friend Danielle and I have the opportunity to oversee. On the outside, this looks like an awesome paid internship program at the corporate headquarters for the largest real estate company in North America. On the inside, it is so much more than that! It is our hope that we are laying the foundation for these students to consider a career at a Keller Williams Realty office or at KWRI!
Like all positions in our company, we use the Recruit-Select process to select only the best. From day one, our college associates receive a well-rounded introduction to corporate life, spending two-week blocks in at least five departments. Through these experiences, in addition to the exposure to core products and services, they are also connecting with multiple company leaders. Each week, Danielle and I meet with the students to assess the week’s work and to provide professional or leadership growth coaching. One week, we might offer support on navigating a tricky work situation. Another week, we might discuss what steps to take when evaluating the path to an advanced degree. We share the reading lists of our executives and discuss the suite of books written by Keller Williams Realty founder Gary Keller.
We encourage our college associates to participate in Keller Williams trainings. This means taking part in classes like Recruit-Select or Franchise Systems Orientation. Our fall college associates attend parts of Mega Camp. The current duo is in for a very special treat on Monday when they attend Empire Building: Building a Business Worth Owning presented by Gary Keller!
I would be remiss if I did not share an especially touching story about our very first college associate, Cindy Castillo. Last spring, we were blessed to have this hard working, soft-spoken, brilliant, and sweet college associate. She juggled school, the internship, a job at Cracker Barrel, as well as a robust social life. A few weeks into her tenure, we had departments fighting over her! Even better, as graduation neared, we had multiple departments wishing to hire her.
A few weeks before Cindy’s graduation from St. Edwards University in May, I had the honor of sitting at the table as Cindy received her offer from MAPS Coaching to permanently join their team. There were tears all the way around, mainly from Cindy. As she sat in shock expressing gratitude, she had no way of comprehending that she earned this position and how grateful we were that she accepted the offer. Her dedication, professionalism, and commitment to the Keller Williams culture made her the PERFECT fit for the job, outshining all of the competition.
Cindy’s story has a special element to it. She is the first person in her family to graduate from college. She has worked since she was a young teenager and responsibly budgeted her college expenses to fit within her income from Cracker Barrel. (Did I mention they were asking her to start their management program?)
She didn’t immediately tell her family the news of her offer until she could do so in person, a few weeks later. The following week when Danielle and I took her to a special graduation celebratory lunch, she excitedly shared her family’s reactions and we could feel their pride through her words. The tears flowed for all of us and then again when Cindy was elated over her graduation gift from us, KW red Kendra Scott earrings. (That’s so KWRI!)
Each college associate leaves a great legacy behind. Cindy works beside us each day. This summer, George from the University of North Carolina left us one of my new favorite books, Things a Little Bird Told Me. And Lauren from Auburn University introduced us to one of our current college associates from The University of Texas, Jeana. We realize that each one is not going to return to a full-time Keller Williams Realty position but we are confident in the lasting bonds built and that we will always be part of their professional journey.
Learn more about the KWRI college associate program or recommend a candidate by emailing me at holly.priestner@kw.com. Or, tweet me @hollypriestner.
