Haley Hanks

University of North Carolina, Kenan-Flagler Business School

“Textbook Type-A with a special talent for productive procrastination.”

Fun fact about yourself: I never leave the house without a pack of gum. Ever.

Hometown: Wilmington, North Carolina

High School: E.A. Laney High School

Major: Business Administration

Minor: Area of Emphasis in Real Estate

Favorite Business Course: There are so many, which makes it hard to pick just one. However, Advanced Spreadsheet Modeling taught by Professor Travis Day is always the one I recommend that underclassmen take as early as possible. Initially, I was intimidated by the class, but I knew it would be extremely beneficial for my professional growth and applicable to my future internships and career. Throughout the semester, I became much more confident in my Excel and modeling skills, which I have utilized on an almost daily basis as I advanced into higher-level real estate and finance classes. Professor Day also does an incredible job structuring the class, and it is evident the amount of work that he has put into perfecting its instruction.

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:

UNC-Chapel Hill’s Dean’s List (Fall 2021 – Present)
Recipient of UNC Kenan-Flagler’s Carl and Janice Brown Upperclass Academic Scholarship (Fall 2023 – Present)
Recipient of the CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women’s) Network Foundation Scholarship (2024 – Present)
Recipient of the Governors Club Step Forward Scholarship (Fall 2023 – Present)
Student member of Triangle CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women’s) Network and member of the University CREW Committee for TCREW (July 2024 – Present)
Global Programs Specialist for UNC Kenan-Flagler’s Global Programs Team (2024 – Present)
Leonard W. Wood Center for Real Estate Studies’ REDI Program Participant (Spring/Summer 2023) and Program Ambassador (Fall 2024 – Present)
Member of the Undergraduate Real Estate Club (Fall 2021 – Present) and Upperclassman Mentor (Fall 2023 – Present)
UNC Team Member for the Mulroy Real Estate Development Case Competition (2024 & 2025)
Member of Alpha Delta Pi, Beta Upsilon Chapter (Fall 2021 – Present): Finance Specialist (Jan. 2022 – Dec. 2022), Leadership Engagement Specialist (Jan. 2023 – Dec. 2023), Ronald McDonald House Charities Chair (Jan. 2024 – Dec. 2024)

Where have you interned during your college career?

Sophomore Summer (Summer 2023): Greystar, Charleston, South Carolina, Development Finance Intern
Junior Summer (Summer 2024): Greystar, Charleston, South Carolina, Development Operations Intern

Where will you be working after graduation? Greystar, Charleston, South Carolina, Development Analyst

What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? The people around you are more important than any lesson you will learn from a textbook. Whether it is utilizing your network of classmates years down the road in a professional setting – or having the opportunity to listen to the unique perspectives that others bring to the table —the ability to connect with individuals will bring more success than any GPA ever will.

Looking back over your experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently in business school and why? I wish that I had joined UNC Kenan-Flagler’s Global Programs team earlier! Coming into my senior year, I had yet to study abroad and decided to apply for a Winter Break Global Immersion Elective, a short-term abroad experience offered by the business school. While I was applying, I found out that the Global Programs team was looking for a Global Program Specialist, essentially a student lead, for the abroad program. I was inspired to apply because I knew it would be a unique opportunity to get involved in something out of my comfort zone and completely different than my other extracurriculars during my last year in college. The Global Programs team was generous enough to take a chance on me, having no prior global experience through UNC Kenan-Flagler, and brought me on this past fall semester. It has been such a fun way to get involved in the business school in a non-student capacity and work alongside UNC Kenan-Flagler faculty and staff, whom I likely would not have met otherwise. As a member of the team, I served as the Global Program Specialist for the Winter Break Global Immersion Elective to Puerto Rico. This allowed me to further develop my leadership skills and build connections with students outside of the classes within my area of emphasis. It makes me wish I could stick around longer to be a part of the team for another year!

What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What is one insight you gained from using AI? UNC Kenan-Flagler has truly embraced AI, which I really appreciate as someone about to enter the workforce with the awareness that AI is completely changing the roles of jobs, especially at the entry and analyst level. The business school has emphasized its importance, and students are encouraged to use it as an additional resource in our classes, as long as we provide the correct documentation and can verify its output. One of the most memorable experiences I have had using AI was for the Strategic Management at the Business Level class project, where we were instructed to use ChatGPT as an employee to help craft and refine a business strategy for a company of our choice. Having the opportunity to utilize AI in that scenario taught me a lot about the abilities (and limitations) of the LLM and the art of crafting a prompt.

Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? I do not like running; I never have and probably never will. However, I set a goal for myself and ran a half marathon last year. I trained for about six months, with no one else holding me accountable except my scheduled runs in my calendar (Type A, like I said), and I learned a lot about myself in the process. I was surprised by the amount of self-discipline that I had, and it was really rewarding to see continual progress towards a goal that I never thought was possible. Crossing the finish line, I had a real-life “aha moment” that with enough preparation, dedication, desire (2000s throwback hits), and the right group of people cheering you on, you can do anything you set your mind to doing. As cheesy as it sounds, I stand by the fact that there is a lot of merit in it for not only personal achievements, but academic and professional goals as well.

Which classmate do you most admire? Livi Schram! She is extremely well-spoken, always asks the right questions and has the ability to bring people together like no one I’ve ever seen. Her determination is so inspiring, and she constantly pushes me to be the best version of myself. I have been beyond fortunate to learn from her as a classmate over the past four years, and I look forward to continuing to do so as a colleague post-graduation.

Who would you most want to thank for your success? My mom and dad—I truly wouldn’t be where I am today without them. They have been my biggest supporters for as long as I can remember, and the older I get, the more appreciative I am of the way they raised me and my sister. They instilled values of hard work, humility and independence by modeling these principles daily through their actions. From my dad, I inherited a love of business; from my mom, an unwavering passion for people. I have always felt that the intersection of these two qualities has given me a sense of purpose through college, my time at UNC Kenan-Flagler and now as I enter my career. I am excited to carry these lessons with me, while continuing to look up to my parents and attempting to show them just how grateful I am to have them in my life (even though it isn’t possible). I love you, Mom and Dad!

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?

Go back to school to earn my MBA or Master’s in Real Estate.
Serve on a board of trustees because it signifies a recognition of expertise and leadership ability to a level that I hope to one day achieve as I advance throughout my career.

What made Haley such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2025?

“I have known Haley Hanks since early in her first semester at UNC. Haley is incredibly bright, poised, and articulate. From the start she explored, researched, discerned and developed her professional goals with a singular focus and exhaustive effort that was impressive.

I remember our first meeting, early in fall of her first year, when she impressed me with her clear agenda, thoughtful questions and incredible composure. A few days later I received a handwritten thank you note. Such a delight and so unusual today. Haley is quick to extend her thanks and appreciation for sharing your time and she gives back in turn.

She is actively involved in our real estate club and has been an valuable role model and mentor to the cohorts of real estate students coming behind her. Haley is the kind of student who makes those around her work harder to reach a new level of excellence.

I put her on our case competition team because I knew Haley would add to the synergy of the team with her clear intellect and polished presentation. Case competitions offer student teams the opportunity to develop a comprehensive solution to a complex real estate scenario. Created within a week, their solution must include a market analysis, site design, justification for highest and best use, and corresponding financial analyses. Teams present their solutions to judges, usually senior executives who represent all areas of commercial real estate. Haley’s performance on our competition team did not disappoint and the team shined brightly.

It has been an honor to work with Haley and watch her grow into the professional she has become. I will certainly miss her after she graduates but am excited to watch her career; she will be a rising star in the field.”

Lynn Tocci
Associate Director
Leonard W. Wood Center for Real Estate Studies
UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School

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