Two VSB Students Selected as Poets&Quants 2023 Best & Brightest Business Majors

Villanova, PA, April 11, 2023 – Two Villanova School of Business (VSB) students – Jonah Gavino ’23 VSB and Megan Kempf ’23 VSB – were selected as Poets&Quants 100 Best & Brightest Undergraduate Business Majors of 2023. Poets&Quants chose 100 students from the Top 50 undergraduate business programs around the nation who are poised to make an impact as the future leaders of the business world.

“Congratulations to Jonah and Megan for being recognized for their outstanding academic careers and extracurricular accomplishments,” said Joyce E. A. Russell, PhD, The Helen and William O’Toole Dean of VSB. “We look forward to following their successes after graduation as they become business leaders for a better world.”

Jonah Gavino ’23 VSB

From San Diego, Calif., Gavino earned a double major in Accounting and Business Analytics. An Augustinian Scholar, he was involved across campus, serving as vice president of Villanova’s Filipino American Student Association, a teaching facilitator for the Villanova University Honors Program, and a trivia writer for Villanova University Quizzo. Throughout his undergraduate career, Gavino served as a student worker in the VSB Communication & Marketing Office and as an accounting intern at Hazard Construction. He commends VSB for its collaborative environment where he learned the “importance of leveraging each other’s strengths and hearing others’ perspectives” to find success. After graduation, Gavino will complete an accounting internship at KPMG in Seattle before returning to Villanova to complete his Master of Accounting with Data Analytics and earn his CPA.

Cathy J. Toner, JD, MJ, assistant dean, Talent & Staff Development, Community & External Outreach, said, “Jonah is an excellent student, creative thinker, positive person, and committed to making the world a better place. He is an Honors student and a recipient of the University’s Augustinian Scholarship. He lives the Augustinian ideals of Veritas, Unitas, and Caritas (truth, unity and love) every day. Jonah is incredibly thoughtful and self-motivated, teaching himself new skills and taking on additional responsibilities as needed. Jonah impresses me with his maturity, positive attitude and willingness to learn.”

Megan Kempf ’23 VSB

Kempf, of Princeton Junction, N.J., graduated Summa Cum Laude and earned an Honors BBA degree with a double major in Finance and Business Analytics with minors in Real Estate and Engineering Entrepreneurship. This St. Augustine and Global Honors Scholar compiled a comprehensive resume at Villanova, serving as committee leader of the Honors Program Student Advisory Board, council member for the Dean’s Undergraduate Student Advisory Council, founder and CEO of the Engineering Entrepreneurship Alumni Mentorship Network, brand manager of Villanova Women in Tech, portfolio manager for the Villanova Wildcat Investment Fund, and a student worker in the VSB Communication & Marketing Office. “By starting as a mentee in societies and internships, and later serving as a mentor to younger students, I have learned how multilayered a business education truly is.” Kempf was inducted into the Beta Gamma Sigma International Business Honors Society and the Alpha Sigma Gamma Real Estate Honor Society, participated in Cornell Undergraduate Women in Investing Stock Pitch Competition, placed first in the Global Accounting Firms Case Competition, was a national semifinalist in the KPMG Ideation Challenge, and earned Dean’s List all eight semesters. After graduation, Kempf will begin working as an analyst in at The Blackstone Group in the Alternative Asset Management business.

Stephen L. Liedtka, PhD, associate professor, Accounting & Information Systems, applauds Kempf for her lasting impact on Villanova and VSB. “Megan is simply brilliant. What truly sets her apart is how she shares her gifts and inspires others to greatness. Villanova constantly calls on Megan to attract students to our campus, to mentor existing students, to advise our business school leadership, and to help manage student organizations. She keeps rising to these leadership positions because of her incredible interpersonal skills and remarkable ability to balance endless activities with a smile. And Megan has done all these things while working on campus every semester!”

About VSB: The The Villanova School of Business (VSB) undergraduate program is top-ranked among business schools in the nation. Its online graduate business programs are ranked #16, and its online MBA program is ranked #19 by U.S. News and World Report. VSB has been at the forefront of business education since it was founded in 1922. Serving over 2,700 undergraduate and graduate students, VSB is home to five Centers of Excellence – the Daniel M. DiLella Center for Real Estate, the Elenore and Robert F. Moran Sr. Center for Global Leadership, the Center for Business Analytics, the Center for Marketing & Consumer Insights and the Center for Church Management – with each designed to foster innovative, cross-disciplinary research and applied opportunities for students. VSB is known for academic rigor; creativity and innovation; hands-on and service-learning opportunities; a firm grounding in ethics; and an applied education that prepares students to become outstanding leaders and global citizens within the ever-changing, complex, and fast-paced world of business. For more, visit business.villanova.edu.