Moore School finance and real estate student Antoine Kahaleh was recently recognized as the 2021 Southeastern Regional Collegian of the Year.

From Greenville, South Carolina, Kahaleh is a senior and will be graduating in May. Kahaleh said when deciding which university to attend, USC stood out to him as a place filled with opportunities in areas such as internship offers, professor mentorship, financial position and student atmosphere. He also said the Moore School seemed like a place where he could further develop his passion for the business field.

“Finance is an extremely versatile major that opens up so many different doors and is a great base for all of business,” Kahaleh said. “In my opinion, real estate is a more specific major but offers the perfect balance between relationship business and business driven by numbers. That combination fits my personality and interest.”

One of the Moore School students winning this award shows that they are top notch and can compete nationally with any student, said Joel Stevenson, management senior lecturer.

Kahaleh “has the following characteristics: honesty, integrity, character, perseverance and smarts,” Stevenson said. “Winning this award lets the world know it. He is an outstanding young man.”

Stevenson points to the strong curriculum in the Moore School as a contributing factor for the award, as well as Kahaleh’s involvement in extracurricular activities.

Since his freshman year, Kahaleh has been involved in multiple organizations on campus including Young Life of Columbia, Delta Fund, housing resident mentors and Delta Sigma Pi Professional Business Fraternity.

“Delta Sigma Pi has taught me how to keep a professional focus while still being able to enjoy college,” he said. “The job opportunities and professional training are extremely useful and made me prepared for almost any interview or business situation. It also showed me the importance of mentorship and how to build relationships with other people.”

Kahaleh received the Collegian of the Year award through the Delta Sigma Pi Professional Business Fraternity. The award was established more than 40 years ago and is the highest fraternity honor bestowed upon a collegiate member in Delta Sigma Pi. Winners are chosen based on multiple criteria, including inter-chapter fraternity events, degree of leadership exhibited in Delta Sigma Pi, scholastic aptitude and more.

“It is a great feeling to be recognized by an organization you have put so much time and work into,” Kahaleh said. “Delta Sigma Pi has been a huge part of my college experience and a great platform to leverage my potential and opportunities.”

Through Delta Sigma Pi and the courses he has taken at the Moore School, Kahaleh said he has gained valuable business skills and knowledge. Kahaleh has been able to utilize the skills he has developed in his previous internship experiences at Interaudi Bank, Michelin, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Keller Williams and Barings.

“I learned how to work with other students to solve projects and cases,” he said. “I learned how to analyze real estate from a global perspective and study all the international and macro level factors that affect investments and capital markets.”

Kahaleh said he looks forward to applying these skills in a real estate analyst role at Barings in their Los Angeles office after graduation. He said he feels that the Moore School has prepared him with the right tools to take on this position.

“I will be able to objectively look at each real estate investment from a financial perspective first,” he said. “From there, I will use research on other factors and individuals to make the right judgment on whether to invest in certain projects in each geographic area.”

As his time at the Moore School quickly comes to a close, Kahaleh said he is grateful for the personal and professional growth he has experienced during his time at USC and in the Moore School.

“The Moore School has given me more opportunities than I could have asked for in college,” he said. “The incredible professors and students build such a collaborative experience here where you are able to bounce ideas off of each other and learn about each industry and opportunity from different perspectives. One of my favorite parts is the international students and gaining their perspective on the business world.”

Looking down the road in his career, Kahaleh hopes to gain more experience in the real estate industry and one day become a part of a global firm and real estate portfolio.

“In five years, I see myself in a position where I am continuing to learn and develop my skills in the real estate industry and build relationships with upper-level management to have mentors and learn from others,” he said. “Ten years from now, I hope to have expanded my skills overseas to Southeast Asia and work on emerging markets there. I see an incredible opportunity over the next several decades to build an Asia-Pacific portfolio that will have enhanced returns and unmatched opportunity. After doing that for several years, I hope to return to the U.S. and be part of a global firm and real estate portfolio.”

-Claire McGrath