Scholarships Make a Big Difference for University of San Diego Real Estate Students
Leila (Nautalie) Hemmat ’24 (MSRE) was born in Redwood City, CA and grew up in San Mateo, CA. Nautalie and her three older sisters, one of them being her twin, are all first-generation Iranian-Americans. In May, Nautalie completed the Master of Science in Real Estate (MSRE) program at the University of San Diego’s Knauss School of Business. She is the first person in her immediate family to graduate with a master’s degree.
Nautalie earned a bachelor's in business administration with an emphasis in real estate from SDSU in 2022 and her interest in real estate stems from her father, who is involved in real estate in the Bay Area.
“My father has displayed a level of ambition and sacrifice in his career that truly inspires me on a daily basis,” says Nautalie.
While a student at SDSU, Nautalie interned with HP Investors and was promoted to a full-time analyst upon graduation. In 2023, Nautalie wanted to further her real estate education and decided to pursue an MSRE degree. She was immediately drawn to USD, the MSRE program and to the BMC team.
“The MSRE program at USD is extremely well-respected,” says Nautalie. “From the get-go, the level of communication and follow-up from the BMC team was incredible. I noticed early on that the BMC does an extraordinary job at promoting student successes. I especially appreciated how the foundations of the program are outlined even before you start so that students know what they’re walking into and the professors go the extra mile in developing us professionally.”
Nautalie was thrilled to learn that she was awarded two scholarships before the semester had officially begun, which reinforced for her that she was entering into an exceptional program. She was a recipient of the Burnham-Moores Center for Real Estate’s MSRE Inclusion Scholarship Fund and the Dean’s Grad Scholar for Business Scholarship.
Nautalie’s paternal grandparents did not know how to read or write, so education was a key part of her success.
“Education is a big deal in my family because generations before me did not have these opportunities,” says Nautalie. “These scholarships greatly impact my family and because few individuals in my life have had access to this kind of education.”
During her time in the MSRE program, Nautalie received emails from the BMC team about additional scholarships being offered throughout her time in the MSRE program. She decided to apply and eventually learned that she was the recipient of the Pat ‘86 and Bess Wakeman Endowed Scholarship in November 2023.
“You hear a lot about figures and scholarships at various schools, but hearing about them and actually receiving not one, not two, but three scholarships is a big deal,” says Nautalie. “The BMC’s transparency of providing scholarship names, with specific individuals and companies funding those scholarships, revealed to me that these funds are deployed intentionally. This just confirmed for me that this is a program with great integrity. It is even more meaningful when it is a scholarship that is personal—granted from specific individuals,” says Nautalie. It is not just about my tuition being reduced, but the fact that the Wakemans believed in me. I am very inspired by their support and feel immense gratitude.”
Nautalie was also selected as this year's Khalid Mohammed Memorial Scholarship recipient, a scholarship that was established by Michelle Muniz, ’16 (MSRE), in honor of her late uncle.
“I am extremely honored to be selected for a scholarship that is centered on compassionate and selfless service,” says Nautalie. “I look forward to thanking Michelle in-person and to establishing a relationship with her.
In May, Nautalie was also a $10,000 recipient of the NAIOP San Diego University Challenge Scholarship which was awarded to six students (four of the six were USD real estate students).
Nautalie graduated from USD’s MSRE program in May. She began working at Ryan Companies in June 2023 as a preconstruction project engineer intern. After three months, her internship was extended, and Nautalie transitioned into a role as a multifamily development intern, a role she held through May 2024. In June, Nautalie began a new role with Chelsea Investment Corporation as an associate asset manager.
Her skillset and interests lie in asset management and development, with a particular interest within the multifamily sector. She is also involved with NAIOP’s mentorship program, where she was recently paired with her mentor, USD alumnus Adam Robinson ’01.
“The next few years are pivotal to my career growth,” says Nautalie. “I look forward to taking a deep dive into my career and absorb as much practical experience as possible. In order to accomplish my long-term goals, I plan on combining my past and current real estate experiences with the curriculum of the MSRE program to establish myself in the realm of commercial real estate. I look forward to the opportunities that lie ahead and feel grateful for this MSRE experience,” says Nautalie.
In her free time, Nautalie enjoys playing basketball, training for her half-marathon, and making tote bags with her twin sister for their small business.