Fourth-year McIntire School of Commerce student Alexandra Ofsie (McIntire ’26) has been named a 2026 Distinguished Business Student by the American College of Bankruptcy, a national honor recognizing exceptional undergraduates with demonstrated excellence and leadership in restructuring and insolvency.
The award places Alexandra among a select group of students nationwide recognized by one of the profession’s most respected organizations.
“Receiving the 2026 Distinguished Business Student Award from the American College of Bankruptcy is deeply meaningful to me because it represents recognition from leaders in a field that has played a defining role in my academic and professional development,” says Alexandra. “To me, the award is not just a recognition of academic or technical achievement, but reflects curiosity, integrity, passion, and a commitment to creative problem-solving in complex, high-stakes situations.”
McIntire Professor David C. Smith, who has mentored Alexandra since her second year in the Finance Academy, says the honor is well deserved: “I am so thrilled that Alex won the American College of Bankruptcy award this year. She is hugely deserving, and it’s quite an honor for her to be selected by such a notable organization for the award.”
Alexandra’s interest in distressed restructurings emerged during her second year at UVA amid rising interest rates and increasing corporate distress. Following major restructurings and complex capital structure negotiations sparked a fascination with how financial and legal frameworks intersect during moments of stress, ultimately shaping her career path.
That curiosity led to an internship with Houlihan Lokey’s Financial Restructuring Group in New York. “I worked on three live company and creditor-side engagements and saw firsthand how financial analysis, legal frameworks, and stakeholder dynamics come together in real time,” she says.
One of her most challenging assignments involved supporting creditors of FXI Holdings Inc. through a fast-moving process that captured the full breadth and pace of the analyst role. She assisted with diligence, liquidity forecasting, recapitalization modeling, and client presentations related to a recently completed amend-and-extend transaction involving approximately $1.2 billion of senior secured notes and a $50 million new-money raise that closed in November 2025. “The experience taught me how to stay organized under pressure, adapt quickly as facts change, and think critically about structuring solutions that balance immediate liquidity needs, stakeholder incentives, and long-term business viability.”
Beyond her professional experience, Alexandra has played a central role in strengthening student engagement in credit and restructuring at McIntire.
“Alex is not only a great student with a great job upon graduation; she is also one of this year’s leaders of the UVA Credit and Restructuring Club, where she helps to train, motivate, mentor, and inspire younger students to follow her path into credit and restructuring,” says Smith. This spring, she is helping lead the launch of the club’s first intercollegiate case competition, which has attracted 45 teams from institutions across the country. “Alex’s recognition by this esteemed national organization is further evidence that UVA and McIntire have some of the best students around when it comes to advancing in the world of credit and restructuring,” Smith adds.
Alexandra has also been deeply involved with UVA student-run investment fund Smart Woman Securities, where she progressed from Research Analyst to Portfolio Manager and helped guide the portfolio to a 20% return in 2025. Reflecting on that experience, she says, “Over time, the most rewarding aspect of my experience has been the transition from mentee to mentor. I take pride in helping analysts and associates strengthen their investment memos, sharpen their pitches, and navigate their own careers in finance.”
After graduation, she will return to Houlihan Lokey as a Financial Restructuring Analyst. “What excites me most about returning as an incoming Financial Restructuring Analyst is the opportunity to continue working alongside exceptionally talented individuals in an environment that demands rigor, ingenuity, and collaboration every day,” says Alexandra.
