Alumni Adrienne Hamilton is a working mom of two children, and she is currently living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She graduated high school in 1995, but the high school then was what is the current middle school.

While in high school, Hamilton participated in a lot of extra curricular activities, such as: drama club, varsity club, student council, homecoming court, etc. She also held a part-time job and worked hard to get good grades; she always loved being involved, and she said participating in all these activities helped her throughout her professional career, “Being in front of people of all ages, secured me with confidence to articulate myself in high pressure situations and speak to a large group.”

After high school, Hamilton secured an ROTC scholarship to Penn State where she planned to study Meteorology. This scholarship required her to then serve in the military for four years after her graduation. 

While she was eager to get out of Stewartstown, she decided before the fall semester that the military wasn’t the right fit for her, so she chose instead to go to West Chester University to study Finance and Business management.

It was actually during college that Hamilton got involved in what would later become her career–real estate. 

As a sophomore, she needed a job, so she picked up the phone book and started calling companies. She ended up accepting a job in loan processing for mortgages.

Hamilton wasn’t quite ready to settle down after her graduation in 1999, so she moved to Philadelphia and joined a punk band named Plastron as the singer. They played around Philadelphia and New York City. 

During these days she also worked various jobs including a commercial loan officer in real estate.

Hamilton sang with the band until she became pregnant with her oldest son. After this, she started writing her own songs, singing, and playing the piano. When she started interviewing for jobs, she put her band under the “Other Interests” section of her resume. This attracted the attention of what would become her future boss.

In 2001, she applied to a real estate investment company. While she had good credentials and experience, the director said it was out of curiosity about her band that he called her in for an interview.

Hamilton still works at the same company, 18 years later. She works buying multi-family apartment communities throughout the United States. She first started out as a Real Estate Analyst, and now she is a Senior Associate. 

Hamilton’s real estate life is in her blood; both of her parents owned real estate in Stewartstown and other nearby cities. And she also became a landlord and holds investment properties in Philadelphia.

She travels a lot to review different properties all over the country. This traveling for her job forces her to sacrifice a lot to when it comes to her two children.

Hamilton’s life has been an adventure, and she has learned a lot through her experiences. Some advice she has for students is to work hard. “Work hard. It’s such a short period of your life, but it matters so much for your future. All of the social crap is insignificant once you graduate. If you leave with ONE good friend, you are lucky. Don’t engage in gossip, it’s for the unintelligent. Think for yourself, learn and listen to everyone’s opinion, but at the end of the day, lead with your conviction and passion and stand up for others who don’t have a voice.”

Hamilton is the definition of brave and outstanding. She followed her passions in high school by participating in activities while also having good grades and a part-time job. By having a band and still following her interests and passions after graduating, she landed a great job offer and worked her way up to where she is now. She is a living example that shows you should always follow what you love to do and what’s in your blood.