Public Storage leaders recently spent the day connecting with a group of high school students from Value Schools, which provides high-quality, value-based education to underserved youth in urban areas of Los Angeles. Students learned about the highlights of our company, different career opportunities, and leadership qualities they can start developing now as they consider their future careers.

Our partnership with Value Schools was established in 2023 by Annie Wu, a Board Member of Value Schools, and Senior Manager in Investor Relations. For the second consecutive year, Doug Brown from our Learning and Development team worked together with other Public Storage employees to plan an exciting agenda where students started their day in our corporate headquarter meeting our leaders through interactive experiences, followed by hands-on learning about the self-storage industry, and a fun excursion to a Public Storage facility.

“The Career Day at Public Storage provided our students with access to professionals at Public Storage who educated and inspired them to think about their future career goals” said David Doyle, President Value Schools Foundation.

The group heard from leaders throughout the organization including Natalia Johnson, Chief Administrative Officer, and Nathan Tan, Senior Vice President of Human Resources, who shared their educational experience and career journey. Students also learned how everything from social media to data science helps us improve the customer experience.

“Engaging with the next generation about the opportunities at Public Storage and witnessing their dedication to honing their skills was motivating,” said Julie Turner, Senior Regional Manager. “It is evident that the students at this Distinguished California School have a lot of potential, and we are grateful for the opportunity to have their partnership.”

Students were divided into two groups and tackled case studies provided by Public Storage members. One group started with our Real Estate Team, where they learned all the details of planning and developing new and existing facilities.

The students were then tasked with a case study to rebuild a facility in Texas damaged by a hurricane, considering design guidelines such as weather changes, signage, and amenities for customers. “I really liked problem-solving. I enjoyed making a blueprint and finding solutions for a problem. I learned that challenges allow us to create something better” said an 11^th grader.

The experience also allowed students like Estefany, who is interested in being an architect, to have one-on-one time with Senior Architect Natalie Pyzik, pictured above. Stephanie was able to ask Natalie about her educational background and career path.

At the end of the session, the teens took turns sharing their renderings and ideas.

Another group met with leaders of our field operations team and was challenged to design a storage unit floor plan that balanced customer needs and demands with revenue generation. “I enjoyed every moment at Public Storage, and I learned how so much thought goes into making and building Public Storage,” said another 11th-grade student.

They concluded their day with a visit to a storage facility, where they learned the importance of organizing a storage unit.

Following their visit, the Value Schools shared that they loved the interactive activities such as building boxes, making floor plans, and designing buildings.

They learned that teamwork is a significant part of what makes things work and that we invest in our people.

Thank you to Value Schools for the visit!