This year marks the fifth consecutive year Highwoods has proudly supported the Cristo Rey Research Triangle High School Corporate Work-Study Program.

Located in Durham, Cristo Rey Research Triangle High School is part of a national network of 40 career-focused schools serving more than 12,000 students. The school truly lives up to its tagline, “The School That Works.”

Through the Corporate Work-Study Program, students gain meaningful, real-world experience by working five full days each month at local businesses and nonprofits. This innovative model allows students to build essential workplace skills while supporting their college-preparatory education.

At Highwoods, students work from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., starting their day with tasks such as accounts payable support and sorting daily mail. They then rotate through several departments, including IT, Property Management, Marketing, and Leasing.

Throughout their time with us, students contribute to a wide range of projects—from updating contacts and managing Excel files to testing computer equipment, packing and shipping materials for office moves, cleaning conference room screens, maintaining computer inventory, and assisting with integration work to support bid sourcing.

The program not only provides valuable support to our teams, but also gives students the opportunity to explore career paths, gain confidence, and prepare for success beyond the classroom.