In the spring of 2020, Sarkis Kavlakian graduated from Suffolk with a degree in finance and a goal to break into the world of commercial real estate. In the fall of 2025, Kavlakian returned to Suffolk with one main goal: to rewrite the real estate program.
After Kavlakian graduated, he put his education in finance and realty to work, exploring the professional world in the Greater Boston area. Alongside making connections from job opportunities like his work for Century 21 Tradition, he gained experience in the real estate world that he implemented in his curriculum as he returned to Suffolk as a professor.
In the fall semester of 2025, Kavlakian started teaching classes focusing on real estate and entrepreneurship. With this group of students, he launched the idea of starting an internship program that would bring experiential learning into the classroom, combining his post graduation work with the younger generation of real estate agents.
“I see myself as the bridge between academia and industry, right where theory meets execution,” said Kavlakian. “Most programs teach real estate as a concept. I train students to perform and excel inside it.”
After more than 20 students showed initial interest in the framework of the program he envisioned, he started ironing out the details and shaping it into the seven-person internship cohort they have now.
“We all take on slightly different responsibilities, but the core work includes analyzing properties, researching and understanding the information we are looking at and understanding zoning regulations across different towns and cities,” said Zena Fitzgerald.
Fitzgerald, a senior finance major and real estate minor and chief marketing officer of Suffolk’s Finance and Investment club, has been a key part of this new internship opportunity from the start. On top of their individual work, the interns also get to interact with real clients and listings, but the most valuable part of this program is getting to ask Kavlakian questions and get professional guidance, she said.
“From taking his class in Fall 2025 to now working with him through the internship, I’ve learned more than ever before and feel fully prepared and excited to pursue real estate full-time after graduation,” said Fitzgerald.
In the 2026 spring semester, Kavlakian currently teaches ENT 333-1 Real Estate for Entrepreneurs on top of weekly meetings with his interns, where open discussion and time for questions are available, though he is a constant resource for his students outside of classroom hours as well.
“The lessons that this internship has brought to us have been humbling,” said Cooper Lawlor. “Once I started, I quickly realized how different the industry was compared to an outsider’s point of view. Real estate before this was just an industry I was interested in. Now, it’s looking more and more like my future.”
Lawlor is a Suffolk junior also pursuing finance and real estate.
Though Kavlakian has made movements in the real estate program and Sawyer Business School as a whole already, he only has plans to expand. Going into the fall, he intends to not only take on more courses but also expand the number of interns he can mentor.
“Watching students’ eyes open to the reality of the industry and begin to crave real, hands-on learning is incredibly rewarding. To give that back in the same classroom which I once sat in as a student brings everything full circle, and I don’t take it lightly,” said Kavlakian.
Though Suffolk’s real estate minor does not include an official real estate license in its curriculum, Kavlakian believes that he provides a pathway to earning that certification and knowing how to use it in the professional world.
“Growing up around real estate and now holding my license, I’ve had a strong foundation, but Sarkis has truly helped me, and many others, find our path in the industry,” said Zena Fitzgerald. “While he’s a professor at Suffolk, his impact goes far beyond the classroom. He’s deeply committed to helping students succeed in real estate.”
