SCHOLARSHIP

Congratulations to the 2026 Scholarship Winner

Originally from the Bay Area, Julie Cohen is a junior at San Diego State University studying Business Management and Real Estate, and currently holds a GPA of 3.99.  She is an active member in BIA, CCIM, ULI and NAIOP San Diego Chapters, as well as the Director of Professional Development for the Real Estate Society at SDSU.  Last summer Julie secured an internship at Cresa as a Tenant Representation Brokerage Intern where she was able to assist in evaluating properties for lease or sale, and conduct market research to help identify opportunities and support client decisions.  She also has had the opportunity to shadow a broker at JLL throughout her year at school, providing more hands-on experience in her pursuit to continue with a career in commercial real estate and Tenant representation.

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The PNW Retail Group wants to encourage the next generation of individuals entering the commercial real estate industry with our scholarship opportunity for college students. Applicants must be a high school senior, college freshman, sophomore, or junior and plan to enroll or are currently enrolled in a 4-year bachelor’s degree program. A career interest in retail and commercial real estate is preferred.

The PNW Scholarship is a one-time award of $2,000. The scholarship also includes travel and entrance into the ICSC annual shopping center conventions in either Las Vegas (May) or New York (December). Mentoring by senior industry professionals will be offered to all scholarship recipients during the convention.  The PNW Scholarship honors the lives of Charlie Devine and Darren Was, and celebrates their positivity, excellence, generosity, and service in the industry.

Charlie Devine

Charlie Devine spent the bulk of his career in commercial real estate, not only achieving remarkable success but also giving back to his industry and community. He founded Devine Realty Consultants in 1986, and for 32 years worked for national chains finding sites and negotiating leases for new stores all over the country. Charlie was an active board member of DOC&R (now PNW Retail Group), and he was inducted into the DOC&R Outlet Industry Hall of Fame in 2013. He had a passion for his job, had an incredible amount of fun doing it for almost five decades, and he made lifelong friends along the way.

Charlie was also actively involved in his community where he held positions of Councilman and Mayor, was a member and former Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus and coached dozens of youth sports teams for his children. He was devoted to his family which included his wife of fifty years Lynn, and 4 children and 9 grandchildren.

Darren Was

Darren was a Senior Vice President for The Was Group as a Commercial Real Estate Consultant collaborating with his father and brother in North Haledon, New Jersey. Darren was smart, funny, and charming. He quickly became the life of the party wherever he went. He excelled at commercial real estate and was known for placing retailers in the perfect place and space.

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Past Scholarship Winners