A Career Journey Informed by Experience: Max Wilson ’27

For Max Wilson ’27, Lewisburg has been a launching pad where one opportunity has led to another — from his very first weeks on campus.

The journey began in his first semester, when Wilson wrote a paper analyzing the annual NFL’s Top 100 player ranking. His professor, Sam Gutekunst, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Professor of Data Science, found his analysis compelling and approached Wilson about expanding it as a research project. Wilson was in — he spent the next summer studying his question with Gutekunst and Professor Joe Wilck, analytics & operations management. Their early findings generated interest from the NFL and led to a meeting with the director of the Top 100.

“I love being able to take real data and make real observations,” says Wilson, a business analytics and computer science double-major from Needham, Mass. “The experience has helped me find a passion for sports analytics, and it’s something I might be interested in pursuing in the future.”

But that interest hasn’t stopped Wilson from exploring a myriad of potential paths. As a sophomore, he completed a two-week project with PwC, the global audit and accounting firm, that he secured through the Freeman College’s new micro-internship program.

“There was so much value in a very short amount of time,” Wilson says. “Beyond the practical experience and feedback on my work, I was able to learn more about the company’s career options and network with recruiters and Bucknell alumni who work there.”

He’s since worked as a macroeconomic research intern at investment advisory Carraighill while studying in Ireland through the Freeman College’s Bucknell in Dublin program, explored Silicon Valley as a student leader on the college’s annual trip to the tech hub, and spent summer 2026 as a capital markets intern with PNC, an opportunity he secured with help from Bucknell alumnus Doug Frankel ’98.

Wilson’s journey exemplifies the career ecosystem Bucknell is building, where career preparation is an experience that begins when a student enrolls and builds over four years, culminating in a job offer or graduate school admission. Through a national model for career advancement, guaranteed internships, undergraduate research, study abroad and a powerful alumni network, Bucknell will ensure that every graduate lands with purpose.