UGOC Spotlight: National Intern Day

The United Group is very fortunate to once again employ an ambitious and skilled group of high school and college student interns, and was thrilled to recognize National Intern Day on Thursday, July 26.

In a few short months, these motivated student interns have brought a meaningful perspective to United Group’s various departments. They work hard, ask questions, and are always eager to learn.

Learn more about the unique and talented interns at United Group:

Rohan Cherian-Ash - Corporate Office - Development/Contracting Department

Q: Where do you go to school, and what are you majoring in?

Rohan: I attend Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) and I’m majoring in Mechanical Engineering.

Q: Why did you decide to pursue an internship with United Group?

Rohan: I decided to pursue an internship when I was at a career fair and walked up to the United Group booth. After talking to Michaela and Joan, I was interested in the opportunity to work at UGOC and learn about the development process/project management. I didn't have any previous experience with project management so the chance to learn more about the process was an opportunity that I wanted to take.

Q: What have you learned from your experience so far?

Rohan: I have learned a lot in my time with United Group. I have learned about all the different aspects that go into the development of projects as well as understanding the process of design to development to construction. One of things that interested me most about this internship was the chance to learn about the process of design/development and this experience has been extremely valuable thus far.

Q: If you could visit any place in the world where would you choose to go?

Rohan: It would be Santorini, Greece. Just seeing pictures of it as well as having friends who have been there, it seems like an amazing and beautiful place to visit one day.

Q: What is the best present you've ever received and why?

Rohan: An Xbox. The Xbox had just come out and I was 10 at the time and I had really wanted one for Christmas. I remember playing it for hours on end and never getting bored whenever I played.

Q: If you could learn any skill, what would it be?

Rohan: I would want to have the ability to speak any language and communicate with people of different cultural backgrounds. I have always wanted to learn more languages so I can travel to different places in the world and be able to talk to and interact with people from those countries.

 Q: What's the most unusual thing you've ever eaten and why?

Rohan: The most unusual thing that I have ever eaten was a conch. I was in the Caribbean with my family and my dad, being from the Caribbean, told me that I should try it and I ended up really liking it.

Ryan Uccellini - Corporate Office - Development/Commercial Department & College Suites at Hudson Valley 

Q: Where do you go to school, and what are you majoring in?

Ryan: Fairfield University as a Finance Major

Q: Why did you decide to pursue an internship with United Group?

Ryan: Family history, interest in Real Estate, desire to learn as I work and not just work to make money.

Q: What have you learned from your experience so far?

Ryan: Working at the United Group has broadened my knowledge of what happens behind the scenes of a Real Estate project. Whether it’s capturing an investment from someone, thinking of new ways to market our product, or managing a 268 bed apartment building, United Group exposed me to all.

Q: If you could live in the world of one television show, what would it be and why?

Ryan: Entourage, it speaks for itself.

Q: If you could visit any place in the world where would you choose to go and why?

Ryan: Manchester, England for a Manchester City soccer game.

Q: You have the option to shadow anyone in the world for one day. Who would you pick?

Ryan: Elon Musk because he is the revolutionary of our generation.

Q: If you had access to a time machine, where and when would you travel to?

Ryan: 2005 Masters at Augusta National.

Q: What is the one thing you miss most about being a kid?

Ryan: Playing soccer competitively.

 Tori Robinson - Corporate Office - Development/Contracting Department

Q: Where do you go to school, and what are you majoring in?

Tori: I attend Colorado State University and I am a Mechanical Engineering major.

Q: Why did you decide to pursue an internship with United Group?

Tori: It looked like-and is- a great opportunity to gain professional experience and apply what I am learning at school to real-world projects. It has taught me skills I can apply to my work back at school as well.

Q: What have you learned from your experience so far?

Tori: I have learned a lot about professional teamwork and communication. I have also learned a lot about the little details that go into making large projects come to life and how important they all are in the early stages of development.

Q: If you could visit any place in the world where would you choose to go and why?

Tori: I would probably go somewhere in Germany. It has always sounded like a really fun place to visit. It would be cool to see and learn more about the culture there.

Q: What is your favorite pizza and why?

 Tori: White pizza with broccoli. It’s simple and I just really like broccoli.

Q: What was your favorite subject in high school and why?

Tori: My favorite subject in high school was always science. I liked all of the different experiments and hands-on activities I got to do. I liked that there was always more to explore and learn.

 Tiyana Epperson - Corporate Office - Accounting Department 

Q: Where do you go to school, and what are you majoring in?

Tiyana: I go to the College of Saint Rose, and I major in Accounting with a concentration in pre-law and a minor in music business.

Q: Why did you decide to pursue an internship with United Group?

Tiyana: I like that the company deals with managing and owning property, which is something I’m very interested in and that I can see myself involved in in the future. When I was looking for an internship, it was very important to me that I found one that I’d actually have a meaningful experience and more importantly that I’d actually benefit from the skills and tasks I was doing. United Group assured that to me when I was interviewed, which was great. I also like  how flexible and convenient it is for both my summer and school schedules.

Q: What have you learned from your experience so far?

Tiyana: I’ve learned that accounting deals with a lot more than just debits and credits as well as how much a company really does depend on their accounting team to hold them together. I always knew accountants deal with finances, but I never would have imagined them having to make such important financial decisions within a company, so it’s good to know now that that is definitely a part of the job.

Q: If you could visit any place in the world where would you choose to go?

Tiyana: I would definitely choose Southern California just because it’s were I’ve always dreamt about living. I just love everything about it and the lifestyle. Ever since I visited a few years ago, I’ve had my sights set on L.A being my home and I actually am planning on moving there after college to attend law school!

Q: What was your favorite subject in high school?

Tiyana: My favorite subject in high school was math, specifically trigonometry and calculus. Math has always come easy to me so I’ve always enjoyed doing it. I’m a very focused person so I like to solve complicated problems, especially when there is only one final answer to them.

Q: What is a unique or quirky habit you have?

Tiyana: I am an extreme planner! I have a planner that plans out every hour of my day. I’m an extremely busy person so in order to stay organized I’ve developed this habit of always planning out what I’m doing whether it’s work related, food related, school related, and etc. I like to see everything I need to do in advance and create a plan that’s most efficient to getting it done. Writing things I need to do out on paper all the time is something that also keeps me motivated to get it done!

Isabelle Uccellini - Glenmont Abbey Village 

Q: Where do you go to school, and what are you majoring in?

Isabelle: I’m beginning my freshman year at Fordham University with a major in Biological Sciences.

Q: Why did you decide to pursue an internship with United Group?

Isabelle: It was clear to me last year that the people at United Group are genuine, diligent individuals who can create something out of nothing, and those are the type of people I want to be surrounded by.

Q: What have you learned from your experience so far?

Isabelle: I learned how to properly communicate with current and future residents, while also learning a lot about marketing, which is extremely important.

Q: If you could be any age for a week, what age would that be and why?

Isabelle: I would be six, an age where I still have my imagination, I’m innocent but not naïve, and it’s the age I skied in my first race. Skiing is my absolute favorite thing to do, and when I was six I received the incredible opportunity of competing in a ski race in Steamboat, Colorado. Racing made me realize the undeniable love I have for skiing, and to this day I am thankful I skied in that race at age six because I was able to compete on my high school ski team, hopefully join the ski club at Fordham, and ski at some unbelievable places.

Q: What talent would you like to have?

Isabelle: A talent I’ve always wished I had is to be a hip hop dancer. After watching the entire Step Up movies ever since I was a little girl, I’ve always wanted my talent to be a great dancer because dancing is an expression of who you are through movement. With each move or step, you can see people for who they are without having to say a word, and that is something I wish I could do.

Q: If you had to give up a favorite food, which would be the most difficult to give up?

Isabelle: Pasta is by far my favorite food and I can’t imagine giving it up because not only do I love the taste of pasta, especially spicy pasta, I love how it reminds me of my family and our Italian background.

Q: What is the one thing you miss most about being a kid?

Isabelle: Imagination is a trait lots of kids, but few adults possess. As a kid my imagination was a key factor of shaping me into the person I am today; it allowed me to be creative, curious, and hopeful. I am grateful for the moments my imagination gave me, as these are the moments that remind me that there is still innocence and curiosity in the world.

Q: What was your favorite subject in high school and why?

Isabelle: My favorite subject in high school was AP Micro Economics, but it wasn’t the class alone that drew me to it, but the teacher. Not once was I ever bored, staring at the clock counting down the minutes till I left, or starting to fall asleep. Instead, I was intrigued by the way he presented all of the information. Lastly, I admired the difficulty of the class, at the start of the first week I had a C in the class, however this C transformed into an A within two weeks of staying for extra help, studying every night, and working hard. I ultimately admire the challenge this class presented to me.

 Liberty Arnold – Hearthstone Village & Student Housing

Q: Where do you go to school, and what are you majoring in?

 Liberty: I’m still in high school, so I'm not majoring in anything but I hope to major in marketing in the future.

Q: Why did you decide to pursue an internship with United Group?

 Liberty: I pursued an internship at United Group because I wanted the opportunity for experience and to learn about marketing, since that's what I'll potentially be majoring in.

Q: What have you learned from your experience so far?

Liberty: Since interning at United Group I've learned a lot about social media marketing and that friendly customer service can go a long way in most situations.

Q: What is a unique or quirky habit you have and why?

Liberty: A quirky habit I have is I always to pace when I'm on the phone with anyone, which I get from my dad.

Q: What was your favorite subject in high school and why?

Liberty: My favorite subject in high school is history because I find it very interesting and it comes easy to me.

Q: If you could only have one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?

Liberty: If I had to give up one favorite food it would definitely be hummus because I have it daily, multiple times a day.