100 Best & Brightest Business Majors Of 2021 by: Jeff Schmitt on March 29, 2021 | 6,277 Views March 29, 2021 Copy Link Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Email Share on LinkedIn Share on WhatsApp Share on Reddit Freshman year can be a real wake up. Everything is faster and heavier – and academics are just part of the transition. For many, the biggest issues involve managing time and money. Sometimes, freshmen just take on too much. Sven Wollschlaeger probably heard the warnings. That didn’t stop the University of Michigan Business major from co-founding a company as a freshman. Inspired by campus tours he took in high school, he built VenueTourist – which he describes as “a 3D and virtual reality tech company specializing in higher-ed campus tour creation.” Over four years, Wollschlaeger has taken his startup far beyond Ann Arbor – and racked up achievements that’d be the envy of MBA students. “I am proud that we built and scaled VenueTourist from my dorm room to being deployed at universities all across the U.S. – from campuses like GWU to the University of Miami. We raised <$1M from the co-founder of JetBlue, and pitched to Google Streetview, Bessemer Venture Partners, and A16Z. We were invited to operate out of Dan Gilbert’s Detroit Venture Partners office (2019), and I just recently participated in Y Combinator’s Virtual Startup School. I learned the value of good products, great execution, exceptional teams, and starting!” 100 STUDENT LEADERS FROM TOP 50 BUSINESS SCHOOLS Wollschlaeger is among the 100 seniors honored in Poets&Quants’ Best & Brightest Business Majors of 2021. Entering its 6th year, the Best & Brightest features seniors who personify the best in business education. To compile this year’s list, P&Q invited each of the Top 50 undergraduate business schools to supply two representatives from their programs. The schools were given the flexibility to choose their students using their own selection criteria and process. However, P&Q encouraged the schools to consider students based on factors like “academic excellence, extracurricular leadership, personal character, innate potential, a striking personal narrative, and overall impact on the program.” Overall, the list includes 54 women and 46 men. In addition, 15 students hail from countries outside the United States, including Turkey, Ethiopia, Romania, Thailand, Haiti, and Ecuador. Despite a sluggish economy, many Best & Brightest are already ticketed to the world’s top employers. 10 members have already accepted offers from Deloitte, with Bain & Company, Ernst & Young, KPMG, and PwC scooping up 3 students a piece. In addition, you’ll find future consultants, bankers, and client developers at firms like McKinsey, Goldman Sachs, Amazon, Microsoft, and SpaceX among the Best & Brightest. In addition, 9 graduates are returning to campus to earn Master’s and law degrees. Upasana Barot Such students include Leah Wren Hardgrove. A legally blind Marketing major from Washington University, Hardgrove will be joining Google in product management after graduation. At the University of North Carolina, Mary Laci Motley built EATS2SEATS, which enables non-profits to operate stadium concession stands to generate financing for their causes. Not only has Motley survived the pandemic, but has expanded her enterprises to seven venues. At Wharton, Cristina Pogorevici entered a war-torn country to study entrepreneurship. Some students even stepped into the role of leadership. Case in point: Upasana Barot. She developed a 6-module peer mentorship curriculum at the College of William & Mary – one that has been adopted campus-wide. “It always makes my day when mentees reach out about their positive experience with the program,” she tells P&Q. Who are some of the most promising Business majors from the Class of 2021? Where have they interned and where will they be working after graduation? Which faculty and classmates do they admire the most? And what were the biggest surprises they faced and lessons they gained on the way to graduation? Click on the links below to learn about the next generation of consultants, financiers, c-suite executives, and entrepreneurs. 2021 Best & Brightest Undergraduate Business Majors Business Student Business School Hometown Post-Graduation Employer Giselle Enriquez Durazo University of Arizona (Eller) Tucson, AZ GoDaddy Brennen Feder University of Arizona (Eller) Tucson, AZ Procter & Gamble James Sorrentino Binghamton University School of Management Oyster Bay, NY Citigroup Rene Vorilas Binghamton University School of Management West Islip, NY Protiviti Veronica Escobar-Mesa Boston University (Questrom) Medellin, Colombia The Barthwell Group Frances Smyth Boston University (Questrom) Alexandria, VA Microsoft Spencer Russell Call Brigham Young University (Marriott) Omaha, NE Home Depot Ashtynne Wade Brigham Young University (Marriott) Lindon, UT Boston Consulting Group Nathan Feyrer Bucknell University (Freeman) Breinigsville, PA Goldman Sachs Amy Yowell Bucknell University (Freeman) Betterton, MD Bank of America Aditya Darshan Gandhi Carnegie Mellon (Tepper) Mumbai, India Wolfe Research Shiwani Pathak Carnegie Mellon (Tepper) Edison, NJ Morgan Stanley Sarah Brice Cornell University (Dyson) New York City, NY SC Johnson Carol Wang Cornell University (School of Hotel Administration) Vancouver, Canada Sculptor Capital Management Eva Chaffin University of Denver (Daniels) Littleton, CO Ernst & Young Milena Rogers University of Denver (Daniels) Portland, OR Goldman Sachs Meghan Murray Elon University (Love) Bel Air, MD Ernst & Young Alexandra Pirsos Elon University (Love) Upper Saddle River, NJ N.C. State (Grad School) Drew Bullock Emory University (Goizueta) Durham, NC FTI Consulting Lori Steffel Emory University (Goizueta) Glenview, IL Truist Securities Zackary Hajjar Fordham University (Gabelli) Brooklyn, NY JPMorgan Chase Sekai Kaminski Fordham University (Gabelli) Garnet Valley, PA IBM Michael DuTot Georgetown University (McDonough) Berwyn, PA Anheuser-Busch Alexandra Hornick Georgetown University (McDonough) New York City, NY HiredScore Amanda Arboleda University of Georgia (Terry) Dacula, GA Ernst & Young Zakiyya Ellington University of Georgia (Terry) Allen, TX McKinsey Jake DiBenedetto Georgia Tech (Scheller) Johns Creek, GA Credit Suisse Devika Dutt Georgia Tech (Scheller) Douglasville, GA Deloitte Salman Al-Luqman University of Houston (Bauer) Houston, TX American Express Micah Olsen University of Houston (Bauer) Swampscott, MA Vivint Smart Home Jessica Lozano Schmitt Hult International Business School Madrid, Spain Electric Potential Tumelo Seemule Hult International Business School Francistown, Botswana Hult International Business School (Grad Student) Bethany Antuna University of Illinois (Gies) Wheaton, IL Google Markos Christoforou University of Illinois (Gies) Elk Grove Village, IL Deloitte Brianna Jordan University of Illinois (Gies) Naperville, IL Law School (Undecided) Sydney Dixon Indiana University (Kelley) Houston, TX Deloitte Blake Nolan Bradley Indiana University (Kelley) Bourbonnais, IL SpaceX Andrew Fedun Lehigh University Yardley, PA Citigroup Jenny Lin Lehigh University Nesquehoning, PA KPMG Anton Berry Marian University (Byrum) Clarksville, TN Undecided Rachel Kassing Marian University (Byrum) Maryville, IL Undecided Alannah Scardino University of Massachusetts-Amherst (Isenberg) Rochester, NY Undecided Matthew Kassler University of Massachusetts-Amherst (Isenberg) Mansfield, MA PwC Maddie Krueger Miami University (Farmer) Dublin, OH West Monroe Partners Grant Stierwalt Miami University (Farmer) Bowling Green, OH Bain & Company Olivia Dubi University of Miami (FL) Dix Hills, NY Morgan Stanley Ryan Rebholz University of Miami (FL) Bloomington, IL Boyne Capital Priyanka Khetarpal University of Michigan (Ross) Saginaw, MI BlackRock Sven Wollschlaeger University of Michigan (Ross) Monroe, MI Insight Venture Partners Noah Henry Skrok Michigan State University (Broad) Sterling Heights, MI Undecided Business School Hometown Post-Graduation Employer Lydia Whipple Michigan State University (Broad) Mason, MI Cisco Systems Kayla Fixel University of Minnesota (Carlson) Germantown, WI Deloitte Nate Taye University of Minnesota (Carlson) St. Paul, MN Deloitte Dimitri Pun New York University (Stern) Port-au-Prince, Haiti Twitter Jessica Wang New York University (Stern) Collegeville, PA PwC Gino Esposito University of North Carolina (Kenan-Flagler) Milford, CT University of North Carolina (Graduate School) Mary Laci Motley University of North Carolina (Kenan-Flagler) Asheville, NC EATS2SEATS Karan Kishorepuria Northeastern University (D’Amore McKim) Kolkata, India Undecided Abigale Purvis Northeastern University (D’Amore McKim) Woodinville, WA Undecided Tyler Ancona University of Notre Dame (Mendoza) East Setauket, NY KPMG Megan Whelan University of Notre Dame (Mendoza) Munster, IN University of Notre Dame Abenezer Mechale University of Pennsylvania (Wharton School) Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Bain & Company Cristina Pogorevici University of Pennsylvania (Wharton School) Bucharest, Romania Bain & Company Rohil Chada University of Pittsburgh Hillsborough, NJ Deloitte Katie Gerber University of Pittsburgh Fairview, PA Deloitte Mateo Godoy Providence College North Providence, RI PwC Anna Russo Providence College Huntington Station, NY New York University (Graduate School) Chloe Jenkins Purdue University (Krannert) Zionsville, IN Amazon Ariana Loor Purdue University (Krannert) Quito, Ecuador Graduate School (Undecided) Rachel Perry University of Richmond (Robins) Chiang Mai, Thailand Undecided Lizzie Reedy University of Richmond (Robins) Marietta, GA Perella Weinberg Partners Ankita Kodali Rutgers Business School (New Brunswick) Union, NJ Deloitte Kurt Vogl Rutgers Business School (New Brunswick) Middlesex, NJ Microsoft Ross Meldrum University of San Diego Chelmsford, UK Graduate School (Undecided) Caroline Murray University of San Diego Dallas, TX Undecided Aysegul Ates Southern Methodist University (Cox) Izmir, Turkey Jefferies Cameron Police Southern Methodist University (Cox) Frisco, TX PJT Partners Scott Mueller Syracuse University (Whitman) Ogdensburg, NJ Deloitte Ruth Yehyun Bang Syracuse University (Whitman) Parkland, FL Undecided Samantha Bryant University of Texas (McCombs) Austin, TX Undecided RJ Finley Texas Christian University (Neeley) Tustin, CA JPMorgan Chase Ashley Servais Texas Christian University (Neeley) Medina, MN Dell Technologies Alanna Austin Tulane University (Freeman) New Orleans, LA Law School (Undecided) Matthew Shernicoff Tulane University (Freeman) Freehold, NJ Sterling Associates Rohan Parikh Villanova University Marlboro, NJ Bank of America Kelsea Wong Villanova University Malvern, PA Blackstone Group Jeannie Patrice Hirsch University of Virginia (McIntire) Rochester, NY Warburg Pincus LLC Samuel R. Lisner University of Virginia (McIntire) Virginia Beach, VA Deloitte Anabel Cordano Wake Forest University Ridgefield, CT Wake Forest (Grad Student) Jeremy Greer Wake Forest University Suffield, CT Truist Financial Sharae Ratliff University of Washington (Foster) Spanaway WA Undecided Noah Reyna University of Washington (Foster) Bellevue, WA Andersen Lucas Dionisopoulos Washington University (Olin) Lincoln, NE Financial Technology Partners Leah Wren Hardgrove Washington University (Olin) Orlando, FL Google Upasana Barot College of William & Mary (Mason) Suffolk, VA KPMG William Ryu College of William & Mary (Mason) Seoul, South Korea Accenture Jessica Anton University of Wisconsin Sussex, WI Undecided Jake Shenkenberg University of Wisconsin Bloomfield Hills, MI Accenture Berkan Delareyna Worcester Polytechnic Institute (Foisie) Istanbul, Turkey Undecided Matthew Iaconis Worcester Polytechnic Institute (Foisie) North Attleboro, MA TJX Companies DON’T MISS: BEST & BRIGHTEST BUSINESS MAJORS: CLASS OF 2020 BEST & BRIGHTEST BUSINESS MAJORS: CLASS OF 2019 BEST & BRIGHTEST BUSINESS MAJORS: CLASS OF 2018 BEST & BRIGHTEST BUSINESS MAJORS: CLASS OF 2017 BEST & BRIGHTEST BUSINESS MAJORS: CLASS OF 2016