Filipina graduates summa cum laude from US' 'best business school'
MANILA, Philippines — A 21-year-old Filipina has brought pride to the country as she graduated summa cum laude from the prestigious Wharton University of Pennsylvania in the United States.
Lara Andrea Montales graduated with a degree in Bachelor of Science in Economics Major in Finance and Business Analytics from Wharton, listed as Forbes' 2017 Best Business School in the US.
The summa cum laude honor has been given by the Wharton school to a student whose grade point average (GPA) is between 3.80 and 4.00.
According to her LinkedIn account, Montales was a consistent Dean’s Lister in Wharton, and achieved a cumulative GPA ranging between 3.81 to 3.89.
She entered Wharton School in 2014.
The Filipina also received the Freshman Leadership Award in 2015 for taking initiative and engaging with the Filipino community at Pennsylvania.
Lara was an elementary valedictorian at Colegio San Agustin-Makati and graduated with high honors at the Philippine Science High School-Main. She represented the Philippines and won in international math contests under the tutelage of the Mathematics Trainers Guild Philippines (MTG).
On her Facebook account, Lara shared: "My very first profile picture at Penn was with the LOVE statue, so it’s only fitting that my last one be with the LOVE statue as well. So thankful for the love that I have given and received at this school, for the friends I have met and the families I have found, and for the home I have made. Until next time, Penn.”
