2026 Best & Brightest Business Major: Nolan Watson, University of Texas (McCombs)

by: Jeff Schmitt on April 03, 2026

Nolan Watson

University of Texas, McCombs School of Business

“Bills fan, family-shop background—now pursuing entrepreneurship and law with Buffalo grit.”

Fun fact about yourself: I’ve been trapped in my house by about 10 feet of snow.

Hometown: Orchard Park, New York

High School: Orchard Park High School

Major: Canfield Business Honors and Accounting

Minor: History

Favorite Business Course: Business Law and Ethics

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:

  • 2024 Texas Exes President’s Leadership Award, Sole Sophomore Recipient
  • University Honors, Fall 2022 – Fall 2025
  • Distinguished College Scholar (Top 4% of Business School Class)
  • Texas Exes New York Chapter Scholarship, Fall 2022
  • Foundation Communities, Tax Preparation Volunteer (January 2026 – present)
  • The University of Texas at Austin Office of the President, External Relations Associate (March 2025 – present)
  • BA 324: Business Communication, Grader/Teaching Assistant (January 2023 – present)
    • Lead Grader/Teaching Assistant (August 2025 – present)
  • Texas Trailblazers Leadership Program, Inaugural Member (August 2025 – December 2025)
  • MAN 101H: Leadership Challenges, Peer Mentor/Teaching Assistant (August 2024 – December 2024; August 2025 – December 2025)
  • Canfield Business Honors Program Steering Committee, Member (September 2023 – April 2025)
  • Texas Honors Business Association, President (April 2023 – April 2025)
  • The University of Texas at Austin Office of Admissions, Campus Tour Guide (October 2023 – December 2024)
  • Texas Guadaloop (Hyperloop Research Team), Member and Feasibility Study Team Lead (September 2022 – April 2023)
  • University Securities Investment Team, Member (September 2022 – December 2022)

Where have you interned during your college career?

  • The Schroeder Law Firm; Orchard Park, NY; Legal Assistant (June 2022 – August 2023)
  • University of Texas/Texas A&M Investment Management Company (UTIMCO); Austin, TX; Operational Due Diligence Intern (May 2024 – July 2024)
  • HFW Industries; Buffalo, NY; Business Development Associate (July 2024 – present)

Where will you be working after graduation? I will be attending law school next year and am still waiting for all my admissions decisions. I will continue working as a business development associate at HFW Industries on a part-time basis.

Who is your favorite business professor?  My favorite business professor is Dr. Elizabeth Hanson Smith, my Business Communication professor. Her course pushed me out of my comfort zone as I learned to prepare executive-level presentations and write audience-centered documents. Dr. Hanson Smith really emphasized “bottom-line-on-top” communication—leading with your purpose and being concise. This lesson sharpened my writing and helped me adjust to communicating in the business world. I have relied on the skills I developed in her class throughout college, particularly when I had to present my internship project to the CEO and CFO of UTIMCO.

Dr. Hanson Smith also hired me as a grader and teaching assistant, where I have since had the opportunity to practice mentoring, teaching, and providing constructive feedback. I know these skills will translate to my intended career in corporate law as I advise clients.

What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? The biggest lesson I have learned in business is gaining insight before making critical business decisions or undertaking a significant shift in strategy. Although professionals’ gut instincts can sometimes play a role in urgent decisions, I have seen how the decision-making process is best served by gathering hard data and outside perspectives.

In my Principles of Marketing course, we examined business growth through the lens of the three growth gears: Insights, Strategy, and Execution. My professor warned about “random acts of marketing,” such as producing a commercial or sending newsletters without considering customers’ perceptions of your company, changing market conditions, or how the decision impacts long-term strategy. Sometimes it is tempting to rush into the execution phase, but it is critical to first do the research. You need to solicit customer feedback, analyze your market structure, and speak with other stakeholders. We learned how you must carefully consider your company’s position before changing your strategy to ensure that your business is being responsive to customers’ needs and solving a genuine problem.

I have found this data- and insight-driven approach to decision-making to be broadly applicable in the business world, and I will strive to incorporate it into my business career.

What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? I would recommend that any student interested in a business-related field take at least one management information systems (MIS) class. Across my internships and jobs, I observed the value of understanding Excel, databases, and other electronic systems. For example, one role required me to build a Power BI dashboard of key legal terms for evaluating new investment deals, while another had me help facilitate the implementation of a Salesforce database for tracking Texas football ticket inventory. I believe having a strong background in MIS will be critical for business professionals looking to become more efficient and creative, particularly with the emergence of new AI tools.

What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What is one insight you gained from using AI? My business school has primarily encouraged me to use AI for research and studying purposes. My corporate governance professor asked us to query an AI chatbot to analyze a pressing issue; I chose to query ChatGPT about whether Amtrak will be successful at competing in the Northeast Corridor. I asked the tool a few prompts and then analyzed the quality of its outputs.

One insight I have gained is that AI chatbots are often overconfident in their answers and easily swayed by leading questions, making it important to challenge them with external information. This can improve their analysis.

Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? I am most proud of revitalizing the Honors Business Association’s (HBA) “Big-Little” mentorship program. HBA is the official student organization of the Canfield Business Honors Program at UT Austin and connects students with their peers, professors, alumni, and corporate recruiters. When I became president in the spring of 2023, HBA had not fully recovered to its pre-pandemic engagement levels.

My executive team and I reoriented the program around mentorship, strengthening the connections between students in different class years. I believed that increasing participation in HBA required building a tight-knit community where students turned to each other for advice and support. To achieve this goal, we used a new personalized matching form to match freshman students with a “Big” who had shared interests. We also hosted social events like pickleball tournaments to foster connections outside the classroom. Over two years, we enrolled more than 200 students in the program. A particularly rewarding moment came when a new freshman student shared how much she enjoyed getting to know her mentor.

Which classmate do you most admire? I most admire Quinton Mendoza, another Class of 2026 McCombs student, because of his humility and ability to meet people where they are. Whether talking with me or another UT student, Quinton actively listens and takes a genuine interest in helping others. He is quick in offering to mentor a younger student or to help others prepare for a job interview. I try to emulate his concern for others and his joy in building community.

Who would you most want to thank for your success? I would most like to thank my mom for my success because she has exemplified the power of small acts of kindness and attention to detail. As one of four boys, I grew up in a busy household. From sports practice to homework, my mom not only balanced our hectic schedules but made the time to find small ways to brighten all our days – like sneaking a note or a treat into our lunches. My mom also instilled in me the importance of expressing gratitude through handwritten thank-you notes.

The lessons in kindness and gratitude that I learned from my mom have strengthened my soft skills and helped me build lasting friendships and professional relationships.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list? I hope to become a leading mergers-and-acquisitions partner at a top-tier law firm, merging my interests in business and law. Later in my career, I aspire to become a judge for a U.S. Court of Appeals due to my love of legal research and writing.

What made Nolan such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2026?

“It is an honor to write in support of Nolan Watson to be awarded Poets & Quants 2026 Best-and Brightest Undergraduate Business Majors. My name is Lesley Sarkesian, and I have the privilege to teach and inspire undergraduate business students as a lecturer at the University of Texas at Austin in the Department of Management at the McCombs School of Business. Nolan is not just a top student, he is a compassionate, AI-savvy, and action-oriented leader with a remarkable story of achievement. He is always ready to try, to personally challenge himself and to lead, making life better for others and pushing the boundaries of what can be accomplished. As a lifelong learner, Nolan is curious, and has high IQ and EQ. I have seen his human-centric & purpose-driven leadership shine, both inside and outside of the classroom. His passion is contagious and has an impeccable reputation. Nolan inspires others to think and dream big. The combination of Nolan’s values, skills, and grit is his secret sauce.”

Lesley Sarkesian
Lecturer – Department of Management
The University of Texas at Austin I McCombs School of Business 

DON’T MISS: 100 BEST & BRIGHTEST UNDERGRADUATE BUSINESS MAJORS OF 2026

© Copyright 2026 Poets & Quants. All rights reserved. This article may not be republished, rewritten or otherwise distributed without written permission. To reprint or license this article or any content from Poets & Quants, please submit your request HERE.