Two VSB Students Selected as Poets&Quants 2026 Best & Brightest Business Majors

Villanova, Pa., April 15, 2026 – Two Villanova School of Business (VSB) students—Sofia Arrascue ’26 VSB and John Henry Gingrich ’26 VSB—were selected as Poets&Quants 100 Best & Brightest Undergraduate Business Majors of 2026. Now in its 11th year, the Best & Brightest honors 100 senior business students from the Top 50 undergraduate business programs who made the biggest impact on their programs and personified the best of their cohorts.

“Congratulations to Sofia and Henry on this well-deserved recognition of their exceptional academic achievements and involvement beyond the classroom,” said Wen Mao, PhD, The Helen and William O’Toole Dean of VSB. “Their commitment and drive truly set them apart, and we look forward to the positive contributions they will make as business leaders dedicated to driving meaningful change.”

Sofia Arrascue ’26 VSB

Hailing from Deer Park, N.Y., Sofia Arrascue is a triple major in Finance, Management, and International Business at VSB. A recipient of the Saint Martin de Porres Full Tuition Scholarship and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund Scholar award, Sofia has built a remarkable record of participation in global leadership and community engagement throughout her four years at Villanova. 

As president of both the VSB Dean’s Undergraduate Student Advisory Council (DUSAC) and the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, Sofia helped mobilize more than 300 volunteers to serve local communities while simultaneously advocating for student-driven initiatives that strengthened the business school experience. A Global Leadership Fellow and Global Key Ambassador for the Office of Education Abroad, she participated in three study abroad programs—including the inaugural Iceland Maymester and the Consortium for Undergraduate International Business Education (CUIBE) Global Student Leadership Program in Medellín, Colombia—and earned second place at the San Diego State University International Business Case Competition.

During her college career, Sofia interned at the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Center in Singapore, TIAA in Charlotte, and Wells Fargo in New York. After graduation, she will join Wells Fargo as an Emerging Healthcare Technologies Corporate Banking Analyst.

Assistant Director of the Moran Center for Global Leadership, Gloria Angel, praised Sofia’s impact on the VSB community:

“Sofia is a scholar, a cultural ambassador, and a leader whose presence elevates every community she joins. Her academic excellence, global perspective, and exceptional leadership make her an outstanding representative for Poets & Quants’ Best & Brightest Award.” 

John Henry Gingrich ’26 VSB

A Finance major with a minor in Business Law from Lancaster, Pa., John Henry Gingrich has distinguished himself as a student-athlete leader and dedicated servant of the VSB community. As captain of the Villanova Men’s Swimming and Diving Team, Henry earned a spot on the Big East All-Academic Team and the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll while taking on the demanding responsibilities as vice president of operations and budget for the Dean’s Undergraduate Student Advisory Council.

Henry’s commitment to others extends far beyond athletics and academics. He served on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, volunteered with the Special Olympics and the VSB Day of Service, and dedicated time as a VSB Spirit Leader and mentor to fellow students. His internship experiences include an investment analyst role at Fulton Financial Advisors in Lancaster and a Private Wealth Management summer analyst position at Goldman Sachs in New York City. After graduation, Henry will return to Goldman Sachs as a full-time Private Wealth Management Analyst. 

Jeanne M. Liedtka, JD, Associate Teaching Professor in the Department of Marketing & Business Law, reflected on Henry’s character and classroom presence: 

“Henry’s greatest gift to VSB is not his obvious intelligence and work ethic, but his kindness. I have rarely met a college student who genuinely and ceaselessly tries to help everyone he meets. I am so proud that such a genuinely good person has been chosen to represent the Villanova School of Business.” 

The Villanova School of Business (VSB) undergraduate program is top ranked among business schools in the nation. Its online graduate business programs are ranked #28, and its part-time MBA program is ranked #25 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.