Maegan Sanders was a strong, remarkably smart young woman who longed to become a business school professor.
Soon-to-be-bride Maegan had a passion for learning and teaching. She was a beloved member of MSC Aggie Leaders of Tomorrow as an undergrad and an active member of the business honors program. Her parents, Scott and Joan Sanders, have always been immensely proud of her accomplishments, and when they realized the impact Maegan had on others they were overwhelmed.
“We have had a significant number of people comment about the wisdom she had,” her parents agreed. “We always know how incredibly brilliant she was, but it was special to hear not only that others noticed it as well but also commented on how humble she was about it and how gracious she was with that gift.”
Not only was she an accounting undergrad student, but she was also pursuing her masters in management information systems in the accelerated program. As an undergrad student, Maegan was in accounting professor Nate Sharp’s class in the fall of 2017. She continued to excel in Accounting 327, one of Sharp’s hardest accounting classes to get into the masters program, to the extent that he had never seen before.
“Maegan was probably the most brilliant student I have ever taught in 13 years of teaching here,” Sharp said. “I will never forget that on my second midterm, Maegan got a perfect 100 on the test, and I don’t think that has ever happened before. Believe me, my tests are really hard. And on her third midterm, she got a 100 a second time.”
Maegan eventually became a teaching assistant for Sharp for two full school years. Sharp understood Maegan as an individual as they spent consecutive hours grading papers and teaching students. Sharp said he was continuously amazed by the humbleness that Maegan portrayed, despite being as brilliant as she was.
“She never used her intelligence to make others feel less than her or feel small,” Sharp said. “She was so kindhearted. She was very welcoming, approachable and down to earth. She was always happy, you never saw her without a smile on her face. I think what made it more special was how humble she was about her intelligence.”
Always amazed by Maegan’s intelligence, Sharp said he remembers a day when Maegan was his TA and he had given out exam reviews to his students. In five years of using the same material, Maegan was the only one to find mistakes that had been made. This surprise assured him of her talents.
Her knowledge earned her a nomination for a prestigious year-long contract with the Federal Accounting Standards Board in Connecticut. The honor is only given to one student every year from the management information systems masters program, and in 2019 it was offered to Maegan. However, as the job was to start soon after her wedding, she declined the offer to stay with her family. This was a decision that both her parents and Sharp were incredibly touched by.
“This choice would have separated her from her fiancé and family for another year after graduating,” said her parents. “After much turmoil and contemplation, she made the relationships in her life her priority.”
Maegan had accepted a job offer to Ernest and Young, but when she was in Sharp’s research class she decided that one day she would return to school to pursue her Ph.D. and spread her brilliance as a professor.
“She told me that one of her dreams was to go back and get her Ph.D. in accounting so that she could become a faculty member,” Sharp said. “Her gift was teaching and critical thought and everything. I think she would have been just fantastic.”