Poets&Quants Names Two Seniors to Best and Brightest List

Two Florida Southern College business students have earned national acclaim after being included in Poets&Quants list of the 100 Best and Brightest Undergraduate Business Majors of 2023.

Seniors Katie Sharp of Iota, La., and Alex Blankinship of Woodstock, Ga., are joined on the list by classmates from across the country.

Now in its seventh year, the Best & Brightest honors seniors who set the bar for their business school classmates. To compile this year’s list, P&Q invited each of the Top 50 undergraduate business programs to nominate two seniors. Like previous years, business schools choose representatives using their own selection process and criteria – though P&Q encouraged schools to factor qualities like academic prowess and extracurricular leadership.

Sharp is originally from Louisiana with ties to Central Florida, having attended Bartow High School. She is involved with several campus organizations, including Beta Alpha Psi, Beta Gamma Sigma, Omicron Delta Kappa and Phi Eta Sigma Honor Societies; Delta Sigma Pi Business Fraternity; and as a Board Member for the Dean’s Advisory Council. She interned with Binder, Dijker, and Otte (BDO) USA, in the Tampa Bay Office as a Core Tax Intern.

“She is one of the brightest and hardest working students to come through our accounting program,” said Professor Caroline “Carly” Love, CPA, Instructor of Accounting. “Not only is she a dedicated student, but she is also committed to positively impacting those around her. While at Florida Southern, Katie took advantage of the various networking and professional development opportunities we provide and, to no surprise, her invaluable contributions during her summer internship landed her a full-time job after graduation.”

Upon graduation, Sharp will work for BDO USA, an assurance, tax, and financial advisory services company.

Blankinship, hailing from the North Georgia and River Ridge High School, serves as the President of the Delta Sigma Pi Business Fraternity, Chair of Dean’s Advisory Council for the Barney Barnett School of Business and Free Enterprise, a Board Member of Student Accountability Board, and a Residential Advisor. He interned in the finance department of the Holder Construction Group in Atlanta.

The greatest lesson Blankinship learned from studying business is “the importance of networking and taking advantage of every opportunity to meet and connect with people.”

“Alex is a born leader with a consistent positive attitude and winning smile,” said Professor Celina Jozsi, Instructor of Accounting. “He’s always ready to help a fellow student. He dives-in to fix problems and advocates for those around him. He is committed to helping others make the most of their opportunities.”

Blankinship plans to pursue his CPA License after graduation