SISP Spotlight: Erika Lam '23

Would you ever expect a high schooler to be helping you with real estate listings during your house search? Probably not. But senior Erika Lam is looking to become Mass Academy’s very first high school real estate agent.

“I grew up going to a lot of open houses, so I knew when I was older I wanted to explore real estate and the housing market,” said Lam. 

Lam didn’t expect to dive into this field so early on, but the Senior Independent Study Project (SISP) at Mass Academy seemed like “the perfect opportunity” for her to get a “head start” on a longtime goal of hers. So, Lam took a unique route by working towards earning her real estate license in the state of Massachusetts.

“This project feels like a natural fit. I liked learning about new houses as a kid, so I’m happy that I’m able to learn more about the details of the actual process,” she said.  

To receive her license, Lam is currently taking classes online through The CE Shop. With the online course and her internship with the Jarboe Group real estate group, Lam has collected over 50 hours by learning the intricacies of loans, mortgages, and property rights. 

 Although she’s gaining valuable experience working within the real estate field, Lam is still certain about pursuing a career in computer science.

“For me, real estate is a side hustle to my work in CS,” she said. 

As of now, Lam envisions herself as a full-time programmer and part-time real estate agent. 

“Real estate would be a great way for me to earn some extra income during college. I could easily show people houses on weekends and communicate with agents and clients during the week,” she said. 

Lam looks forward to seeing how she can integrate her skill sets in both computer science and real estate in the future. 

In all, Lam’s undertaking of this SISP is both unique and impressive to say the least. We’re all excited to see what she will do as a high school real estate agent.