Carson Breus and Josh Novick
Two Commerce School students, Carson Breus (McIntire ’25) and Josh Novick (McIntire ’25) have been named to business education website Poets&Quants for Undergrads’ 10th annual edition of its 100 Best & Brightest Business Majors feature.
Using criteria such as academic performance, extracurricular leadership, and innate potential, Commerce School staff and faculty selected Breus and Novick to represent the School on the list of exceptional students graduating this semester from the nation’s top undergraduate business schools.
The profiles detail the leadership roles, honors, awards, extracurricular activities, community work, and professional experiences. The standout students also shared important faculty in their time at McIntire, lessons the students learned from their time at the Commerce School, insightful educational use of AI, proud moments, classmates they admire, as well as their advice for prospective business school students.
McIntire Professor Robert Webb was effusive in his praise of Breus: “If there is one word to describe Carson, it is phenomenal. She is exceptionally intelligent, with strong analytical skills, and is a persuasive advocate for her ideas. Her outgoing personality, friendly nature, and wonderful sense of humor make her a joy to be around and a great teammate,” he says, pointing out her innate leadership skills, care for others, and engagement across Grounds such as serving as Vice Chair for Sanctions on the University’s Honor Committee. “Yet, for all her accomplishments, Carson remains down-to-earth and humble,” Webb shares.
Regarding Novick, McIntire Professor Mike Gallmeyer says that he “is the type of student you simply don’t see every year,” calling him “hardworking, curious, intelligent, humble, a natural leader, and a great team builder.” Gallmeyer notes that Novick’s wisdom and vision extend to having “embraced everything UVA and the McIntire School offer,” which includes his thorough engagement in real estate education with the Virginia Undergraduate Real Estate Club and “embracing the University’s liberal arts tradition,” as he also majored in Religious Studies. Above all, Gallmeyer acknowledges Novick’s deep empathy: “When faced with a tragedy that shook us all, Josh turned to good works by running a 40-miler to raise money to support the National Alliance on Mental Health.”
The two star students are preparing to start their careers at leading firms, with Breus heading to Altamont Capital Partners in Palo Alto, CA, as a Private Equity Analyst and Novick bound for New York City, where he will serve as an Analyst at Blackstone Credit’s Chief Investment Office.
Read the full article on the Class of 2025’s Best & Brightest in Poets&Quants for Undergrads.
