Robert J. Fahey, Jr. is living proof that it’s never too late to finish your education. In 2008, more than two decades after he started work on his MBA, Mr. Fahey returned to the Fox School to complete what he started in his 20s. “It gnawed at me that I had started it but never finished,” he shares. “I also wanted to show my three children that you can go back and fix things that weren’t right. So it was as much for them as it was for me.” Mr. Fahey figured out a way to complete his degree by taking classes at night. In 2010, he proudly graduated. “One unintended benefit of returning to school was that I was surrounded by students who were 20 years my junior,” Mr. Fahey says. “They were full of energy and had a whole different perspective on things. In return, I was able to share my years of business experience with them. There was a lot of learning on both sides.” For Mr. Fahey, that business experience includes a robust $10 billion portfolio of high-profile real estate deals that he has brokered over his 25-year career. “There are about 50 high-rise buildings in Philadelphia, and I’ve sold about 60% of them, several of them two to three times” he says. “I love doing it as much now as when I started. “I credit a lot of my success to the classes in business and real estate that I took as an undergraduate and graduate student at the Fox School,” Mr. Fahey continues. “They taught me skills that I still use every day.” Today, Mr. Fahey makes it a point to meet with two college students a week. “Some are from Temple and some are from Wharton, but it’s something that I really enjoy,” he shares. He describes these meetings as “simple blocking and tackling” discussions but he also emphasizes the importance of social courtesy and good communication — areas of differentiation in a highly competitive world. “I tell students that I won’t respond to an email except to tell them that,” he explains. “I think that young adults need to learn to use their voice and the telephone. They need to communicate, sell themselves and learn to express themselves in ways other than text messages or emails.” Looking back, Mr. Fahey, who previously served as Chair of the Fox School of Business Conwell Society, says that were it not for his wife, Temple and the people who helped him along the way, he would never enjoy the success he has today. “Temple gave me the opportunity to go to college, and it changed my life.”

Temple University Degree
Master of Business Administration ’10, Fox School of Business; Bachelor of Arts ’81, Klein College of Media and Communication

Temple University Awards & Affiliatons

• Chair, Fox School of Business Conwell Society
• Dean’s Council, Fox School of Business

What I wanted to be when I was 20 years old
A broadcast executive

Best piece of advice anyone ever gave me
“Life is all about family first, perseverance, hard work, respect for others, making your own luck and having some fun. Remember your roots, keep your head down, treat everyone fairly, help those that need it, acknowledge your good fortune, and have fun along the way.”