The relationships formed between students and real estate faculty are vital to the success of the Wisconsin Real Estate Program. When students get to know their professors and form a genuine connection, this is when the most valuable learning occurs. On the other side of the coin, getting to know students is often the most rewarding part of the job for the teaching faculty. Over the past few years, the Graaskamp Center for Real Estate has formed a strong partnership with the Wisconsin Badgers Football Team. Many players are attracted to the program and have qualities that translate from the football field to success in the industry.
Last year, Greg Reed, Associate Director of the Graaskamp Center, had the honor of guest coaching at a home football game because of his work bringing student athletes into the Wisconsin Real Estate Program. This year, Bill Camp, Senior Lecturer, and Tim Pire, Advisor to the Applied Real Estate Investment Track (AREIT) Program, were invited by former students on the football team to enjoy the guest coaching experience as well. The invitations speak volumes about our top-notch faculty and their commitment to our students in and outside of the classroom.
Bill Camp, a lifelong Badger sports fan, was particularly excited to be a guest coach. Bill said, “When it comes to the student athletes in my class, the dedication they have to the UW-Madison and their education is exceptional.” Reflecting on the coaching experience Bill said, “It was both exciting as a fan and an honor as an instructor to be included in this program. Currently, there are five of my former students on the team. During the Friday walk-through practice and the Saturday, game day, on-field warm-ups, each of those students stopped to say ‘hi’ and say ‘thank you’. In addition to attending the practice and warm-ups, I was able to meet several recruits and spend time watching the game from the sidelines. As a huge Badger sports fan, this day was a lifetime/bucket list experience for me. Thank you to all my former students for including me.”
Tim Pire shared many of the same sentiments when talking about his weekend as a guest coach. Tim said, “It was great to see the student-athletes being able to participate in a top-tier athletic program and earn a degree at a world-renowned academic institution in the University of Wisconsin Madison.” He pointed out that, “Student athletes must balance a tremendous amount in terms of both academics and athletics. These commitments will help the student-athletes with prioritization and time management.” Tim ranked the experience in his top ten all-time experiences by saying, “Being in front of almost 80,000 fans at Camp Randall at a UW football game is an unbelievable experience.”
Thank you to both Bill and Tim for going above and beyond in the classroom, this honor was well deserved. The Real Estate Program looks forward to the continued relationship with the Athletic Department and Football Team.