UNF triple major sets sights on accounting, law and public service

When Francis Felix Javier walks across the University of North Florida commencement stage in May, he will graduate with three business degrees - accounting, economics and finance - and a promising future shaped by his resilience, commitment to excellence and service to others.

While enrolled in both the UNF Hicks Honors College (HHC) and the Coggin College of Business (CCB), Javier took advantage of an abundance of opportunities to earn leadership roles, conduct economics-based research, study abroad and secure impactful internships with globally recognized accounting firms in Northeast Florida.

Following graduation, Javier looks forward to starting a career in accounting and aspires to attend law school to study tax law.

Humble Beginnings: Move to the U.S. and Path to UNF

Born and raised in Metro Manila, Philippines, Javier moved to Jacksonville with his family in 2021. The transition came at a complicated time - in the middle of a pandemic and in the middle of his senior year of high school. He completed the remainder of his coursework online.

Following high school, he enrolled at Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ) in fall 2021 and joined their honors program. He worked at Publix to save money while earning an associate's degree in business before transferring to UNF in spring 2023.

Initially planning to become a medical doctor, Javier shifted his focus to studying accounting - citing his experiences in the Philippines as a major factor in this decision.

"There's a lot of corruption in the Philippines, and accounting is all about transparency," said Javier. "I want to transition into government accounting to advocate for a transparent government in the Philippines."

To help facilitate his desire to attend law school, he decided to also major in economics and finance. To strengthen his understanding of practicing law, he joined the UNF Pre-Law Program - participating in mock trials and exam preparation for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT).

Campus Experiences: Clubs and Student Government

During his first semester as an Osprey, Javier joined the UNF Chapter of Beta Alpha Psi (BAP) - an international, honors accounting and finance organization. BAP helps students foster connections with business professionals through networking events. Javier served as director of marketing starting in fall 2023 before becoming the chapter president from fall 2024 to fall 2025. Through his participation in BAP, he secured scholarships from the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) and the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants (FICPA).

During his time as director of marketing, he helped develop a social media program leveraging AI tools to boost recruitment and engagement. These efforts paid off as Javier saw BAP membership grow from roughly 20 members when he first joined, to more than 100 active members currently. In early 2025, the chapter presented its social media program at the BAP Southeast Regional Conference in Atlanta, winning first place. They then presented at the national conference for the first time in chapter history, where they placed second in summer 2025.

As he assumed leadership positions in BAP, Javier also immersed himself in the greater campus community by joining the judicial branch of UNF Student Government (SG) in early 2024 as an associate justice. In spring 2025, he was promoted to deputy chief justice. As a pre-law student serving in UNF SG's judicial branch, he gained extensive experience in reading, interpreting and applying SG laws to assist with parking ticket appeals, various campus violations and more.

In addition to his leadership roles on campus, Javier has been an active member of the Osprey Financial Group within the CCB. This select group of students helps manage a portion of the UNF Endowment, which is now roughly $2 million. He also helped form the Honors Transfer Student Alliance within the HHC - citing his desire to help transfer students like himself adjust to life at UNF.

Considering himself a soft-spoken introvert by nature, Javier says his experiences in various clubs have helped him gain confidence in social settings.

"Being involved in campus clubs has helped me become more open to meeting new people, while also strengthening my soft skills - from managing conflicts and leading projects to multitasking and organizing my schedule."

Professional Development, Study Abroad and Research Experiences

While Javier found his footing on campus, he was able to leverage the opportunities afforded him as an honors student majoring in business.

In summer 2024, Javier earned a scholarship through the HHC allowing him to participate in the Donald J. Weidner Summer for Undergraduates Program at Florida State University's College of Law. He describes the experience as "eye opening," further igniting his desire to study law.

In spring 2025, Javier was selected as an Association of Government Accountants Scholar. This recognition granted him the opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C., to meet with government accountants and tour the U.S. Department of the Treasury. He was also selected as a Newt D. Becker CPA Scholar, which provided him with Certified Public Accountant (CPA) study materials. He learned about and applied for both scholarships through his involvement in BAP.

During spring break 2025, he and other business students traveled to Costa Rica on a faculty-led study aboard trip with Dr. Chiradip Chatterjee, associate professor of economics and geography. While there, the group visited a local power plant to learn about sustainability practices in the local region and how it has helped the economy.

Javier credits the mentorship he has received from the HHC's Dr. Tiffany Kershner, director of the Office of Global and National Awards, for helping him secure scholarships and navigate competitive opportunities that have expanded his academic and professional experiences.

"The mentorship I have received from Dr. Kershner has been really good," said Javier. "She has helped me with everything."

Kershner commends Javier's proactive approach to better himself academically and professionally by stepping outside of his comfort zone.

"Felix jumped right into getting involved on campus, seeking research opportunities and serving in leadership roles," said Kershner. "Although he was not here for a full four years, he still managed to gain four years' worth of diverse experiences."

In fall 2025, Javier joined the Local Economic Indicators Project (LEIP) at UNF under the guidance of Dr. Albert Loh, professor of economics and associate dean of faculty, administration and research. His duties include gathering local price data at select retail stores for economic monitoring across Northeast Florida. The hands-on experience has strengthened his interest in applied economics and community-driven research.

Most recently, he has collaborated with Dr. Andres Gallo, professor of economics and geography, on a research project examining political dynasties in the Philippines and how they impact poverty and unemployment.

In March 2026, he presented this research at the annual Southern Regional Honors Council Conference (SRHC) in Montgomery, Alabama. He previously presented research at their 2024 annual conference about human rights violations committed by the Japanese Empire to women, known as "comfort women," in the Philippines during World War II.

Internship Experiences

Not only did Javier expand his horizons with professional development, study abroad and research opportunities, he also participated in impactful internships.

Through BAP, Javier secured a summer 2025 internship with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) as a private tax intern, where he worked on preparing tax filings for their clients.

From January to March 2026, he served as an audit and assurance intern at Deloitte - the largest accounting firm in the world. Through this internship, he gained real-world experience performing fraud inquiry and auditing financial statements.

When discussing what he enjoyed most about these internship experiences, Javier emphasizes that making strong connections with experienced business professionals and learning new skills was the best part.

One of the strongest connections Javier has made is with Coggin faculty member Jeffrey Gottlieb, associate instructor of accounting and finance and faculty advisor for BAP. Javier took income tax courses with Gottlieb and has received constant counsel from him about navigating the accounting profession.

"Professor Gottlieb has become a mentor to me," said Javier. "He helped me come out of my shell and feel comfortable talking with the different partners and firms associated with Bet Alpha Psi. He helped me secure internships."

Gottlieb says it's been a pleasure getting to know Javier in his tax courses and mentoring him as faculty advisor of BAP - commending his efforts in growing the organization's membership at UNF.

"In all my years at UNF, Felix is undoubtedly the most driven, motivated and dedicated student I have experienced," said Gottlieb. "He is truly incredible. I look forward to following his career in the future, because I know he is going to achieve great successes."

Future plans following graduation

As graduation approaches, Javier is grateful for the people and programs that positively shaped his UNF experience.

"The Coggin College of Business helps students find secure jobs after graduation with the various career fairs and clubs they offer," he said. "The Hicks Honors College also provides many opportunities for students to succeed."

Javier recently accepted a job offer from PwC, where he will begin working as a tax associate in private trust solutions in August. In this role, he will focus on tax compliance and planning for high-net-worth individuals, trusts and estates, among other duties. Javier has also recently passed the Financial Accounting and Reporting section of the CPA exam and plans to complete the remaining sections this summer.

In the future, he plans to attend law school to pursue a career focused on transparency and public service.