Farewell to our favorite New Yorker, Riena!

On a happy-but-kind-of-sad note, our amazing Summer Associate, Riena Parente Ribeiro, wrapped her summer with us and will be moving on to the next steps in her education and career. The best and worst part about training and supporting young leaders is that eventually they grow into young professionals who take their training and leave to go do other interesting, impactful work (exactly as they are supposed to).

We thought a fun final assignment would be for our newest intern, Esther Li-Chen, to interview Riena about her time with CCB and what she learned. The conversation notes come directly from Riena and Esther and and haven’t been edited by CCB staff.

Esther: What did you work on while at CCB? 

Riena: My main responsibilities were to post daily on Twitter (@CACommBuilders) and provide design insights for the rebranding, among other smaller projects. I also enjoyed sending out our monthly newsletter and attending external webinars.  

What’s something you learned over your time while working with the CCB? 

Although I focus more on the design aspect of architecture in my studies, I also care deeply about the social communities and dynamics that fill homes and cities. At CCB, I learned about the economic and political policies that have social consequences for communities of color and perpetuate the racial wealth gap. I appreciated the different ways I learned: current event articles, webinars, CCB presentations, policy briefs, and more. 

When I first joined CCB and was learning more about racial inequalities in housing, many adverse current events were simultaneously occurring, like the overturning of Roe vs. Wade. I asked Adam how he is not discouraged when reading the news. He said he acknowledges all of them but is tackling all issues by focusing on closing the racial wealth gap. I realized that instead of feeling demoralized, it is important to focus on one solution that I am passionate about to tackle the larger issues at hand. 

What do you consider your biggest accomplishment at CCB? 

My favorite accomplishment at CCB was helping the team navigate design decisions for the new logo. It went through many iterations and compromises, and I am proud of the final product. 

What was your favorite part about working at CCB? Did anything surprise you? 

My favorite part about working at CCB was the team environment! Ron, Sylvia, and Adam all have such different interests and backgrounds, and I was not only learning from them, but also about them. Even though my time at CCB was virtual and from the other side of the country, I always felt supported. 

How do you think CCB has helped you advance your career/educational goals? 

My time at CCB has helped me reflect on my priorities for my career and has given me experiences to continue. Through my time at CCB, I have learned skills for new design software and improved my team-leading skills through observation and practice in both informal and formal settings. As for my career, I want to continue exploring the intersection of design and social justice, which I had my formal introduction to at CCB.   

What advice do you have for future interns? 

Ask questions, be curious, and have fun! Reach out and spend time getting to know the amazing people at CCB! Take icebreakers seriously and send fun gifs on teams:)