Philadelphia Club Leader Spotlight
Philadelphia: Alumnus puts his Gamecock soul into home-based FSO
Just hearing a brief home description from Carolina Alumni Club of Philadelphia President Kevin Lahn, a 1983 School of Business alumnus, stirs one’s passions for the garnet and black. Talk about a great locale for a Freshmen Send-Off Party: His kitchen areas are interlaced with Gamecock tile and paintings, while his basement includes a “Gamecock Room” full of enough Carolina memorabilia to make any museum owner proud.
Lahn, a commercial real estate developer and vice president for R.J. Waters & Associates, will once again host more than 100 University of South Carolina freshmen-to-be, parents, alumni, and friends at his home Aug. 9, located in Kennett Square, Penn. Lahn lives 45 minutes by car from Philadelphia.
“My home is good-sized, so I can accommodate a lot of people,” he said. “A real ‘homey’ feel helps everyone feel comfortable. I tell the kids that someday when they become successful, they’ll have to invite me to their house so I can see their Gamecock rooms.”
More than 20 of Lahn’s guests will be freshmen on their way to campus. Alumni on hand each year come from an area that takes in greater Philadelphia, eastern Pennsylvania, northern Delaware, and southern New Jersey.
The guest list is scheduled to include University of South Carolina President Harris Pastides. Lahn, who serves on the Carolina Alumni Association Board of Governors, is ready for a great Freshmen Send-Off that marks the 30-year anniversary that he entered the University as a freshman.
“I’m always recruiting young people to attend the University of South Carolina, including my own relatives,” the Long Island native said.
Lahn, who married his wife Tiffany two years ago, attends Gamecock football games each year in the company of his parents and loves to tailgate with 50 or more fellow fans. He also demonstrates his alumni loyalty by hosting receptions in Philadelphia for the University of South Carolina track team and men’s basketball team.
Commenting that the freshmen he’s hosting plan to major in fields including International Business, Marine Biology, Nursing and Sports Management, Lahn offered, “Kids now are smarter and more well-rounded than I’ve ever seen.”
A well-rounded student himself, Lahn was involved in activities, including his Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity’s Easter Seals Bowl-A-Thon and helping plan golf outings for the Ro Epsilon Business Fraternity. He was also a Gamecock basketball team manager under Coach Bill Foster for five years.
Larry Di Giovanni, Development Communications Manager