Dale Donawa has known since he was in junior high school that he wanted to sell real estate. And at 18 he might be the youngest person going after a real estate license in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
He is already working in the Calabash real estate office answering phones, updating the website, putting up signs, and running errands for Honnie Edwards, president of Calabash.
Donawa says working at Calabash has been a really good experience and he has already learned a lot about the business. He began work at Calabash two years ago after doing his school job shadowing with Edwards.
“It is a really fun job,” Donawa says. “I have always been interested in houses and architecture.” He added he likes to do architectural type drawings in pencil.
He works daily from 8 to 11 a.m.; then he attends two classes at Kingshill School in the afternoon. On Saturdays he works from 9 a.m. to noon.
In between work and school he is studying for his real estate license.
He got his temporary license, which is good for 6 months, last week from the Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs. He says he wants to schedule an appointment for testing in December. He says he can prepare for the test on line and study from four text books. He has to know zoning restrictions and laws, closing, contracts, banking, loans, financing and more.
“I have done some independent study at school for the license,” Donawa says. “I am in the habit of studying for school and the SATs so preparing for the test isn’t too bad.”
Donawa is finishing up his senior year at Kingshill School in La Reine. After finishing ninth grade at St. Croix Educational Complex Donawa transfered to Kingshill, attracted by the smaller classes.
Janie Koopmans, director at Kingshill, says Donawa is a very driven and motivated young man.
“He pushes himself to succeed and to do well,” Koopmans says. “As far as we know he is the youngest in the Virgin Islands to go after a real estate license.”
He says he wants to attend college in Florida where he has relatives .
“If I don’t go to school in Florida I will go to the University of the Virgin Islands and get my degree in business management,” Donawa says. “My plan is to open my own real estate office here and I’ll see where it goes from there.”
He says he really wants to help first-time buyers find affordable housing here.
“It is tough for first-time home buyers to find affordable housing,” Donawa says. “I will work to find a solution and make home ownership affordable for anyone.”
When he isn’t at work or school he plays football in the local private school league. He is a big guy and fits the position of the offensive/defensive tackle. He is from Frederiksted and the son of Carol and Eugene Donawa.
