For MBA candidate Taylore Lunger, St. Bonaventure University was the first college she considered — and the last. 

“For so many reasons, there was no other choice for me,” she said. “Once I stepped on this campus, I knew I belonged here.”

A graduate student in the 4+1 MBA in Professional Accountancy program, Lunger will graduate ahead of schedule this month. 

Hard work, determination, and a number of scholarships, including the William J. Bennett Memorial Scholarship, have helped her realize her academic dreams.

“I’m honored and humbled to be a scholarship recipient,” she said. “Every dollar goes a long way, plus it’s a great feeling to know your hard work has paid off.”

From the time she was young, Lunger knew she wanted to be involved in business. Skilled at mathematics and a lover of numbers, the Athens, Pennsylvania, native found her niche in Bona’s School of Business. 

“Being here has helped me grow in all aspects of my life,” she said. “Every professor in every class I’ve had has talked about using values and morals in the business world, and has encouraged me to say yes to opportunities.”

Among those teachers is Darwin L. King, professor of accounting, who helped Lunger step out of her comfort zone early in her undergraduate years. 

“He taught me so much, about professional life and about how to approach being in school,” she said.

Lunger served as King’s teaching assistant for tax classes and also had the opportunity to co-author a paper with him, along with Dr. Carl Case, professor of business information systems, and Brianna Ragonese, Class of 2020. Titled “A Review and Analysis of Fortune 100 Firms’ Identified Risks,” the paper earned Distinguished Research awards at the fall 2019 conference of the Institute of Global Business Research, held in Las Vegas.

“Presenting in Vegas was an amazing opportunity and something that I continually look back on,” Lunger said. “Although intimidating to be presenting in front of experienced professionals and top scholars, it was so rewarding to be a part of teaching them everything we learned along with receiving the feedback that they gave.”

According to King, key to Lunger’s success are her keen communication skills, attention to detail and strong work ethic. 

“She is highly motivated and always tries to hit that high bar,” King said. “She works so well with not only faculty but with other students, too. She’s wonderful. I wish I had a whole classroom full of people like Taylore.” 

A Provost Scholarship recipient, Lunger has been on the on dean's list each semester, graduated summa cum laude in December 2019 with a BBA in accounting, received the Y.S. Pandit Award, received honorable mention for The Accounting Excellence Award, and was inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma Business Honor Society.

Offered an accounting position with XGen Pharmaceuticals DJB, Inc., in Big Flats, New York, this past spring, Lunger has been working full time while finishing coursework for her MBA.

“I love my job with XGen, and I love bringing what I’ve learned into the workplace,” she said. “Being at St. Bonaventure helped me grow professionally and personally as I stepped out of my comfort zone and learned to take everyone’s thoughts into consideration.”