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BUSINESS
GILBERT SUN NEWS | AUGUST 8, 2021
Gilbert student finds rewarding internship GSN NEWS STAFF
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ilbert resident Christina Fisher is getting some real-life work experience in the electrical and construction industry. Fisher is one of 65 students from 35 colleges and universities across the country who is in the internship program run by Rosendin, the electrical contracting industry’s largest employee-owned firm. Rosendin’s internship program gives college students real-world experience in project management, estimating, safety, Building Information Modeling, IT, finance, and marketing while paving the way for further career development. Fisher is a senior studying digital and integrated marketing communications in Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey
Christina Fisher School of Business. She is a marketing Intern at Rosendin’s Tempe office creating and executing
Rents get too high for low wage earners, study finds BY EMMA ASCOTT Cronkite News
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ull-time minimum wage workers can’t afford a two-bedroom apartment in any state, according to a recent report from affordable housing advocates, and with housing costs skyrocketing in Arizona, many workers are struggling. According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition’s annual Out of Reach report, those workers in 93 percent of U.S. counties can’t afford a one-bedroom, either. In Arizona, workers would need to put in 73 hours a week to afford a two-bedroom rental. Excluding weekends, that’s 14.6 hours per day. Still, that’s better than the national average of 97 hours per week, the report said. The report defines affordability as the hourly wage a full-time worker must earn to spend no more than 30% of their income on rent. Workers would need to earn $24.90 per hour for a
two-bedroom rental and $20.40 per hour for a one-bedroom. The average hourly worker earns $18.78 per hour, and the federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, unchanged since 2009. In 2019, 13.5 percent of Arizonans were living below the federal poverty level of $25,750 (for a family of four), compared with 10.5 percent nationally. This year the federal poverty level is $26,500. Even under the best of circumstances, rent is unaffordable for most low-wage workers, the report said, and addressing the long-term housing affordability crisis in this country requires increasing rental assistance to all who need it. In Phoenix, the average monthly rent for a two-bedroom apartment is $1,449 – a 12 percent increase over July 2020 – according to Zumper, which analyzes active apartment listings. “In most places, $15 an hour isn’t a living wage, the Rev. Dr. William J.
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social media campaigns for Rosendin and The Rosendin Foundation. “When I was searching for a summer internship, I was looking at many different industries. Once I learned about Rosendin’s Culture of Care, I knew I wanted to intern there,” said Fisher. “This internship has taught me that social media in the construction industry is primarily used as a recruitment tool and to engage employees,” she added, noting the posts with the most traction involve employees and their successes. There is so much to learn and many people here who can teach you no matter your position,” she said. Fisher’s internship will last 12 weeks at Rosendin’s Tempe office, one of 17 regional offices nationwide. “She will explore her career path, gain valuable job experience, fulfill uni-
versity fieldwork requirements, and grow her professional network,” a company spokeswoman said, adding that a mentor will help her address marketing opportunities and challenges in the construction industry. “Rosendin is serious about recruiting the brightest young minds and growing them into future leaders, like Christina. We look for students from all backgrounds because having a diverse pool of interns brings new perspectives to our teams and strengthens our company,” said Salina Brown, Rosendin’s director of marketing. “I am pleased to welcome Christina to our team, and I look forward to seeing what she’ll accomplish.” Rosendin frequently recruits ASU students through campus career fairs and recruiting events.
Special honor
Jan Newton, owner of Nothing Bundt Cakes at 2285 E. Baseline Road, Gilbert, had some good news for her staffer, Emily Beymon, a 2021 graduate of Gilbert High School: Emily won a $5,000 Sunflower Scholarship from Nothing Bundt Cakes Co-Founder Dena Tripp. Newton, said Emily has worked at her bakery for the last two years and is heading to community college. “She is an awesome young woman and we are extremely proud of her,” Newton said. Information: 480-892-1667. (Pablo Robles/GSN Staff Photographer )
