Kevin Sisti started going to real estate auctions with his father when he was only 10.

The 18-year old freshman from Farmington, Conn., says the experience inspired him to get into the business as well. With guidance from his dad, Sisti and his cousin started purchasing condos to rent to college students. They now co-own four condos in Storrs, Conn., a house in New Britain, Conn., and are looking to buy a place in Springfield, Mass. It's a lot of responsibility for someone his age, Sisti admits, but he takes it all in a stride.

"You have to be very smart," he says, to handle all the details involved. "And you need to buy at the right price." To save money, Sisti and his cousin do all the painting and carpeting themselves. They hire a 24-hour maintenance company to take care of routine matters, such as leaky faucets.

Sisti thought about taking a year off between high school and college, but after attending a Quinnipiac hockey game during his senior year, he reconsidered. "I felt like there was a sense of community here," he says. Having gone to a 400-student, all-boys boarding school, Avon Old Farms in Avon, Conn., Sisti wanted a college that gave him the same close-knit feeling, where he could get to know people. He says he knew Quinnipiac was the right place for him-and chose not to apply to any other schools.

Sisti says that while his experience in the real estate market has been quite an education, he knows there is still more to learn. That's why he's majoring in entrepreneurship in the School of Business. "The theory--that's what I was missing. I want to focus on my schoolwork," he says.

He's managing to balance his studies, responsibilities as a landlord and social agenda, including activities with the Italian student club. Accustomed to his boarding school's rigid schedule, Sisti still goes to the library from 7:45 to 9:45 p.m. every night, which was the required study hall time. And he's often joined by a few other Avon Old Farms graduates, who are also used to the schedule.

And when he's not in the library or closing real estate deals, Sisti spends much of his free time giving back to the community. He was president of community service at his high school, where he organized the annual "Toys for Tots" drive. In the two weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas break, the group's goal was to raise $30,000 in donations. They held a dance, organized a benefit dinner and sold raffle tickets.

After meeting their goal, the group went to Wal-Mart and bought toys for poor children living in the Hartford area. "It's the most amazing feeling in the world," Sisti says, going up and down the aisles and throwing boxes and boxes of toys into his cart. "I'm huge into community service. I love it."