UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Four Penn State Smeal College of Business students emerged victorious recently in the 2025 REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) Stock Pitch Competition, sponsored by the Borrelli Institute for Real Estate Studies.
Paxton Monskey, a sophomore finance student, placed first and was awarded a $4,000 scholarship. He pitched FrontView REIT Inc.
Jake Zarnowsky, a sophomore dual majoring in finance and accounting, finished in second place. He won a $2,000 scholarship. He pitched American Homes 4 Rent.
Ryan McLaughlin, a junior finance major, earned a $1,000 scholarship for his third-place finish. He pitched Avalon Bay Communities Inc.
Mahathir Mahbub, a junior finance major, pitched Equinix Inc. and placed fourth. He earned a $500 scholarship.
The competition provides undergraduate students an opportunity to showcase their ideas for and understanding of real estate in a three-minute stock pitch format. A panel of four judges then had 10 minutes to ask questions.
The panel of judges included:
- Gene Nusinzon, vice president of real estate at RVI Group
- Larry Raiman, managing principal of LDR Capital Management
- Todd Thomas, a chartered financial analyst and managing director of equity research REITS at Keybanc Capital Markets Inc.
- Diane Wade, head of sustainability – listed securities for CBRE Investment Management