28 Villanova University Students Named Forbes Under 30 Scholars

VILLANOVA, Pa. – Forbes announced its second annual list of Forbes Under 30 Scholars, selecting  1,000 students from the nation's top schools and giving them free access to the publication's Under 30 Summit, a gathering of the world's top young entrepreneurs and game-changers. Twenty-eight Villanova University students were selected as Forbes Under 30 Scholars and invited to attend the 2017 Forbes Under 30 Summit Oct. 2-4 at City Hall Plaza in Boston.

"Organizations are seeking individuals who are able to think critically and solve problems creatively," said Patrick G. Maggitti, PhD, University Provost. "At Villanova, we seek to nurture these and a host of other highly sought-after skills in our students. The number of Villanova students honored by Forbes highlights the strength of our academic programs and our overall commitment to student success."

The Forbes Under 30 Scholars program was established last year and provided 774 students from 25 different schools exclusive free access to the 2016 Forbes Under 30 Summit. Villanova had 12 students selected as Forbes Under 30 Scholars in 2016. This year, 28 students hailing from the Villanova School of Business, College of Engineering, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and College of Nursing were recognized as Forbes Under 30 Scholars.

"Across all of our academic disciplines, Villanova students excel in what the modern economy demands of its participants: critical thinking, creativity and the ability to execute," said Kevin Grubb, Assistant Vice Provost for Professional Development and Executive Director of the Villanova University Career Center. "This recognition by Forbes is continued, demonstrable proof of our competitiveness on the national stage; only 1,000 students from the nation's top higher education institutions were given the distinction of Under 30 Scholar. Forbes was looking for game-changers and they found many at Villanova."

The list of Villanova students named 2017 Forbes Under 30 Scholars, includes:

• David Arroyo, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (Communication, Honors Program), Junior
• Kristen Aune, College of Engineering (Chemical Engineering), Junior
• James Braun, Villanova School of Business (MBA), Graduate
• Meridith Chung, College of Engineering (Chemical Engineering), Senior
• Julia Dimmerling, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (Mathematics), Junior
• Zachary Ellenhorn, College of Engineering (Chemical Engineering), Senior
• Brittany Enslin, Villanova School of Business (MBA), Graduate
• Patrick Flynn, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (Arab and Islamic Studies, Honors Program), Junior
• Annette Frankowski, Villanova School of Business (Analytics), Graduate
• Jenna Gammer, Villanova School of Business (Finance, Business Analytics, Honors Program), Junior
• Darius Guillory, Villanova School of Business (Analytics), Graduate
• Sarah Harris, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (History, Communication, Honors Program), Junior
• Josh Jones, Villanova School of Business (MBA), Graduate
• Bryce  F. Kaler, Villanova School of Business (MBA), Graduate
• Claire Katchur, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (Economics, Spanish), Senior
• Henry Lowe, Villanova School of Business (MBA), Graduate
• Kayla Meagher, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (Mathematics, Economics, Honors Program), Junior
• Andrew Meluch, College of Engineering (Sustainable Engineering), Graduate
• Kristina Moses, Villanova School of Business (MBA), Graduate
• Josie Pittman, College of Nursing (Nursing), Senior
  
• Melissa Polin, Villanova School of Business (Finance), Junior
• Meghan Scanlon, College of Nursing (Nursing), Junior
• Katherine Shannon, College of Engineering (Chemical Engineering), Junior
• Mishel Stearns, Villanova School of Business (MBA), Graduate
• Zain Stedman, Villanova School of Business (Finance, Mathematics, Honors Program), Senior
  
• Dev Thaker, Villanova School of Business (MBA), Graduate
• Henry Trinh, Villanova School of Business (MBA), Graduate
• Sarrah Truong, College of Engineering (Computer Engineering), Senior

The Forbes Under 30 Scholars program offers those selected free access to the Forbes Under 30 Summit and accelerated networking opportunities. According to Forbes, "students will have the ability to participate across four different content stages, and will have access to investors, entrepreneurs, celebrities, musicians, fashion designers, sport stars, cultural icons, world-renowned chefs, educators, political leaders and business icons who represent the entrepreneurial spirit of the Forbes 30 Under 30 list." The Summit takes place at different venues all over Boston, including Faneuil Hall, MIT Media Lab and University of Massachusetts Club. The Forbes Under 30 Scholars selected are granted access to the Opportunities Hub, a recruitment fair in Forbes' Under 30 Village.

Sponsored by JPMorgan Chase, the Forbes Under 30 Scholars Program, is primarily focused on diversity and inclusion. The students chosen were juniors, seniors, and graduate students in tech and business from underrepresented backgrounds.

Click here to learn more about the Forbes Under 30 Scholars Program.

The Villanova School of Business (VSB) undergraduate program is ranked #1 in the nation by Bloomberg Businessweek and 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 Center for Business Analytics, the Center for Global Leadership, the Center for Marketing & Consumer Insights and the Center for Church Management) with each designed to foster innovative, cross-disciplinary research and teaching opportunities for business faculty. 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.