Architecture, Engineering, and Construction

IVANKA TRUMP

Student, Introduction to Construction Project Management (Spring 2006)

VP development and acquisitions, The Trump Organization

"I really enjoyed the overall teaching style, which incorporated real-life experience. As far as I’m concerned, real life is how you learn."

I picked NYU because it has a really great reputation in the academic community and, if I was going to take a course anywhere, it had to be at an established and recognized institution. The flexibility of the schedule was also very helpful to me. I didn’t take the course to pursue a greater degree—I was just doing it for my own edification. As someone who really loves the whole process of learning for itself alone, I felt that I wanted to delve a little more into construction at the time, and see if there was anything to be learned.

To be honest, having grown up around construction I knew quite a bit about the industry and was familiar with most of the course content, but I took it because I wanted to build on it, as the first step to taking several other courses in the future. And there were plenty of interesting things I learned. I particularly liked my instructor, Mr. Ross and I really enjoyed the overall teaching style, which incorporated real-life experience. As far as I’m concerned, real life is how you learn. As for the school being in New York, well, it’s the best city in the world from the perspective of construction and building. There is no better playground!