The Bauer College Stanford Alexander Center for Real Estate (SACRE) was established to prepare students to take on leadership roles in the booming real estate industry of Houston, and students become industry professionals by learning from industry professionals.

SACRE was built by real estate leaders who teach students through bringing their expertise into the classroom and by welcoming them into a community. In a curriculum that values practical experience, students learn through professional development, internships and mentorships to be career ready.

The mentorship program is a semester-long commitment in which mentees regularly meet with their mentors to learn about the real estate profession, explore career paths and receive guidance on industry practices.

The program is designed with flexibility, allowing each pair to set their own meeting schedule, choose activities and focus discussions on topics that best support the mentee’s individual goals and needs.

“Like any relationship in life, you need to be present, have good communication and also bring forth something to exchange.”
Maria Honey, Director of Stanford Alexander Center for Real Estate

Many students have fostered a relationship with their mentor and finish the program with an internship, part-time positions or even full-time positions.

The mentorship program was launched in Fall 2024 by Real Estate Program Manager Miranda Torres and Real Estate Program Manager Zach Schmidt. Since its launch, it has seen two cohorts, one in the fall and one in the spring.

Featured are Tenel Tayar (left) and Jesus Salinas (right).

In the Fall 2024 cohort, BBA Finance and Entrepreneurship student Jesus Salinas was paired with Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Fifth Corner Tenel Tayar.

Salinas said that throughout the course of the mentorship, Tayar became more than a mentor — they became lifelong friends.

“Tenel’s lessons extended beyond real estate and poured out into my day-to-day life,” Salinas said. “There are not enough words to express how much I value his time and care for me in this program.”

“I went into the mentorship with Jesus trying to imagine what I could contribute to him,” Tayar said. “In the process, we both committed to our relationship and learned from each other. Jesus defines perseverance and resilience through faith.”

SACRE Director Maria Honey said that this mentorship is so much more than receiving advice or coaching. It is an exchange of ideas, knowledge and experiences. She added that this is an opportunity for students to foster a good relationship with their mentor and also to demonstrate their own knowledge and skills as young people first starting out in the industry.

“Like any relationship in life, you need to be present, have good communication and also bring forth something to exchange,” Honey said. “That’s what makes a good relationship, and I think that translates well into a mentorship pairing too.”