Corey Hamabata, Businessman/Hall of Fame Inductee

Corey Hamabata knows a thing or two about success on and off the wrestling mat. Following his high school wrestling career, Corey came to Mt. San Antonio College to pursue his interest in firefighting and continue wrestling competitively. In 2005, Corey put together one of the greatest seasons in Mt. SAC wrestling history, capping off his sophomore season with an undefeated record and California Community College state championships.

Following his incredible 2005 season, Corey was recruited by a number of university programs, and ultimately chose Cornell University in New York. In 2008, he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and received the wrestling team’s Donald Dickason Academic Award for success in the classroom.

After graduation, Corey took his experience and knowledge into the business world, working in the hotel sector for various corporations in Chicago, Los Angeles, Singapore and Hong Kong. He rose to the top ranks within the hotel and hospitality industry serving as a senior vice president of JLL’s Hotels and Hospitality group in Hong Kong. More recently, Corey was named managing director for Rockpool Capital, an integrated wealth management firm, where he will lead its real estate investment practice and build out a specialized hospitality real estate investment platform in Asia Pacific.

In honor of his accomplishments at Mt. SAC, Corey was inducted into the 2022 Athletics Hall of Fame. During the ceremony, he reflected on his experiences in athletics and in his career, coming to the conclusion that the arc of performance is not based on whether a person succeeds or fails in reaching goals. “Each thing that you attempt to do, whether you succeed or whether you fail in that attempt, it’s all a note. Each note in and of itself might be significant, it might be insignificant. But it’s not until you look at it all from up high, looking down, that you can see the symphony that’s playing out ahead of you.”

For his accomplishments and ongoing commitment to excellence, we are proud to honor Corey Hamabata as our 2022 Alumnus of the Year.