Psychology Alumna Jayden Kennedy Talks About Her Success in Real Estate

Jayden Kennedy graduated from the University of San Diego in 2018 with a bachelor of arts in psychology and a minor in sociology. After graduating, Kennedy decided to continue her volleyball career at the professional level. Afterwards, Kennedy felt inspired to go into real estate after seeing, “the large amounts of wealth that many families of my peers at USD were able to create through real estate investing.” She now owns two homes at the age of 27, having bought her first at 25. 

Kennedy feels blessed to have a job that does not feel like a job. She encourages people to follow their passion. She states, “too many people today chase paychecks but find themselves miserable, it’s not sustainable.” Instead she believes that if you work hard and do something you are passionate about, the money will follow.

Read about Kennedy’s USD experience and advice she has for USD students below.

What was your overall USD experience like? Is there a person, course or experience that was particularly impactful for you while at USD?

"Overall, my experience at USD was great. I believe what shaped my experience the most was being on the volleyball team. Playing on the volleyball team came with many great memories and ultimately relationships, many of which I still maintain to this day.”

Do you have any advice for first years or transfer students that you wish you had known earlier on during your time at USD?

"Having been an international student on a scholarship, my best advice is to utilize the services available at the international services office, especially when it comes to tax information and paperwork (I unfortunately did not stay on top of my taxes and had quite a few issues with the IRS).  Although I was a student athlete, I would also suggest that all students get involved on campus; there are many clubs that you can join to meet new people with similar interests.”  

Do you have any post-grad advice/life lessons for students who are soon about to embark on that journey (or even difficulties you wish someone had advised you on while in college to help you prepare for the transition)?  

"Network, network, network! USD students and faculty have some of the best connections out of all college campuses in the States. Go out of your way to build relationships with everyone - you do not know how people may be able to help you or how you may be able to help them in the future. Also, if you are going the entrepreneur route, I highly recommend leveraging social media to build your brand…specifically Instagram Reels and TikTok videos.”