Christian Lee

Villanova University School of Business

“Passionate, hardworking and determined first-generation college student seeking to innovate the business world.”

Fun fact about yourself: Golf is my favorite sport and I have spent multiple summers as a golf instructor for children wanting to learn more about the sport.

Hometown: Colts Neck, New Jersey

High School: Christian Brothers Academy

Major: Accounting

Minor: Management Information Systems

Favorite Business Course: Strategic Thinking and Implementation was my favorite course here at Villanova. While this was a challenging course, it pushed me to think critically about the strategic management process and learn how to be an exceptional first year professional. Dr. Kyoung Yong Kim did an excellent job teaching this course and I am grateful for the leadership skills and professionalism he has taught me.

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:

Honors

• Beta Gamma Sigma International Business Honors Society
• Andrew J. Markey Merit Scholarship
• Dean’s List (All semesters)

Extracurriculars & Leadership

• Villanova Accounting Society, Executive Board Member
• Villanova Dean’s Undergraduate Student Advisory Council, Chair of Business School Operations
• Villanova School of Business Ambassador, Executive Board Member
• Villanova Korean Student Association

Where have you interned during your college career?

Blackstone – Real Estate Finance Summer Analyst, New York City, NY, Summer 2023

KPMG – Deal Advisory Financial Due Diligence Intern, New York City, NY, Winter 2023

KPMG – Embark Scholar Intern, New York City, NY, Summer 2022

Where will you be working after graduation? Villanova School of Business, Master of Accounting with Data Analytics, Full-Time Student and Graduate Fellow

Incoming PwC Management Consulting Intern, New York City, NY, Summer 2024

Who is your favorite business professor? After four years in the business program, I have met many professors that have helped me grow along the way. But Professor Laura Iacona has impacted me the most and I am grateful to have had her as my professor in Auditing and Intermediate Accounting. Professor Iacona has taught me numerous key concepts that are important in the accounting industry, such as having integrity, professional judgement, and professional skepticism. Through her lessons, I can feel how much she cares for her students, and I truly appreciate how much she has inspired me to be a great accountant.

What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? One of the biggest lessons I learned from studying business is the importance of working within a team and forming relationships. Some of my greatest experiences have been through courses such as Competitive Effectiveness, which is a management and marketing class that focused on marketing a product for Johnson and Johnson. Being a part of a 10-student team allowed me to understand different perspectives and see how everyone has unique strengths. Forming these relationships in a business environment was critical for me to grow as a professional because I learned to work with people from different backgrounds.

What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? I would advise students to find the major they truly enjoy. Further, in order to find something students are passionate about, they need to explore every major and keep an open mind. I think that giving yourself time to explore can benefit business majors by providing them with a solid and broad foundation in the field. If freshman and sophomore students are able to learn about each discipline within business, it will help them grow as professionals. Even more, it will allow them to find a subject that gets them excited and prepare them to go into the business world after graduation.

What has surprised you most about majoring in business? I was surprised by the numerous opportunities to network and form relationships with mentors within the business community. At Villanova, I was given the opportunity to go to many networking events and finding those connections prepared me for job interviews to eventually get internships. While I was surprised by how many alumni are willing to help undergraduate students find careers they are passionate about, I am so grateful for how Villanova opened these doors for me to help me advance my career.

Looking back over your experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently in business school and why? One thing I would have liked to have done differently at Villanova was explore more subject areas before choosing my accounting major. Similar to the advice I would give to students looking to major in business, I believe exploring more areas could have shown me something else I was passionate about and potentially change my career path. After my time at Blackstone, I realized how passionate I am about private equity. So, exploring additional classes about private equity could have had the same effect and helped jumpstart my career even prior to that internship.

Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? I am most proud of being the first person in my family to obtain a bachelor’s and master’s degree in the United States. My family made many sacrifices to get me to where I am today, and I am so grateful to have been the first person to accomplish this achievement. I believe there are important qualities that contributed to my success such as hard work and determination. Having this attitude helped me become a successful first-generation student at Villanova. I hope to show my fellow Villanovans that it takes more than being academically gifted to achieve greatness; you need to persevere through challenges and never give up when it gets difficult.

Which classmate do you most admire? One classmate I admire the most is Nicholas Libertucci, who I have known since freshman year at Christian Brothers Academy. At Villanova, he consistently shows me how good of a student he is. Over the past eight years, I have seen how he embodies the qualities of integrity and professional judgement. I am grateful to have a friend like him that challenges me to be the best person possible. Thank you for all the great memories, I am excited to see where your professional career takes you.

Who would you most want to thank for your success? I would like to thank my Aunt Carol for my success. Whenever I needed guidance on a decision such as picking Villanova as my home, she would always give me the best advice, “Make a decision that will make you the happiest.” I have lived by these words when picking my major, professional career, and many other important decisions. Thank you, Gomo, for always being there for me, I could not have accomplished anything without you.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?

• Finish my professional career in South Korea!
• Become a CPA!

What made Christian such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2024?

“Christian possesses all of the characteristics a professor looks for in a student. I have had the pleasure of teaching him in two of my courses, both of which are challenging but in completely different ways.  One course calls on the student’s ability to problem solve, work in groups, and step outside of the comfort zone of a textbook. The other course asks the students to synthesize and retain significant amounts of complex information and apply it to changing scenarios.  Christian excelled in both! When I say “excelled”, I am not referring to his grades, although those were outstanding. I am referring to his willingness to learn, adaptability, openness to challenges, and participation in every aspect of the word.  He is a standout in the classroom which is noticed not only by the professors but by his peers as well. Currently, Christian serves as my teaching assistant and his input has been invaluable. I knew Christian wouldn’t be satisfied with just helping me out with grading and I also knew that would be a colossal waste of his abilities. He is working on developing practice problems, reworking assignments and exams, and identifying opportunities, from a student’s perspective, for improvement in my lectures and class plans. I would not have felt comfortable tasking many other students with these responsibilities, but, because of Christian’s commitment to excellence and constant improvement, I knew I could trust him with the work. I look forward to seeing what else Christian will contribute to Villanova in his time with us. We are fortunate to have him.”

Laura L. Iacona
Assistant Professor of Practice
Department of Accountancy and Information Systems
Villanova University

DON’T MISS: 100 BEST & BRIGHTEST UNDERGRADUATE BUSINESS MAJORS OF 2024