STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Sade Meeks ’22 MAC

Success in the Classroom and on the Field

Meeks has racked up an impressive list of accomplishments, including several athletic records and numerous awards, scholarships and titles. But the most striking thing about her is a formidable confidence, which she combines with down-to-earth common sense and a willingness to try new things.

She’s a planner and goal-setter, but when things don’t work out as she expects, she simply looks around for another opportunity. As she put it, “If you want to build a resume, you have to do something! I’m young. If there ever was a time to experiment and risk making some mistakes, this is it.”

She put this philosophy into practice all through high school on Long Island, NY; during college at Jacksonville University in Florida; and now in graduate school at Villanova, where she not only completed the one-year, 30-credit Master of Accounting with Data Analytics program this past spring but also broke a 20-year athletic record—more than once! It all started when her Suffolk County, Long Island high school musical theater program shut down her sophomore year and she thought, “I needed something to do after school that would combine social activities with travel.” She discovered she had a gift for throwing heavy objects, which culminated in a shot put state championship less than three years later. Her natural ability got her on the team, but hard work and a lot of early morning practice at a local park helped make her a state champ. It was a terrific achievement, but the timing meant she’d missed out on most college sports scholarship money. Fortunately, this proved to be only a minor setback and not a deal breaker. Her great grades translated into academic aid, plus “I had my family’s support and they made sure I got to college,” she said.

When she graduated with an accounting degree in December 2020, she’d earned a cumulative 4.0 GPA while also finding time to participate in campus life; serving in student government as treasurer, vice president and president; founding the Jacksonville chapter of the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) and serving as its president; and being part of the field team and breaking some Jacksonville throwing records along the way. Her family was there at commencement to cheer her on—mother, father, younger brother and grandmother. Her mother was so inspired by Meeks’ accomplishments that, at the age of 50, she’s earning a degree in human resource management, being sponsored by her employer.

When it was time to think about graduate school, Meeks visited several, but knew Villanova was the one after a campus visit. “Everyone here wants you to succeed, and the professors are very supportive. Most importantly, the program emphasizes analytics and judgement—not just entering debits and credits. It’s important that we understand why we do what we do before we put our signature on the work.”

As Meeks waits to start her new job with KPMG on Long Island in August, she’s keeping busy completing the final part of the CPA exam. She’s also considering what sports or other activities she will take up once she’s back on Long Island. “I love throwing, but it’s tough on the body. I’m thinking of trying mixed martial arts next.” Meeks will learn all she can and do her best—which is very good indeed. Achieving so much while in school took focus, discipline and hard work. Nevertheless, Meeks always found time to listen when future opportunities presented themselves. “My best friend’s dad is an auditor and got me interested in accounting.” While she was still in high school, “he took me into work with him and I thought, this is something I could do.”

Choosing a college major so early allowed Meeks to hit the ground running. “I knew the only way to find out if I really enjoyed accounting was to try it. If I didn’t like it, there would be time to change majors.”

You can learn anything from anybody! You just have to be open to it.”

–Sade Meeks ’22 MAC

15.50

SHOT PUT

20.88

WEIGHT THROW

55.60

HAMMER

At her first Villanova meet, Meeks recorded a 17.98-meter weight throw, breaking the record set by Melinda Boykin in 2002. A week later, she turned in another record-breaking performance, this time with a throw of 20.88 meters. Meeks is three-time school record holder in the shot put, the weight throw and the hammer.