Blake Essex isn’t one of the students you see on the platform for every vespers and chapel, nor is he the center of attention at SA events. And yet, everyone on campus knows him. Standing 6’9”, Essex isn’t built for anonymity. For the last four years, he has honed his quiet, dependable and kind leadership style on Union’s men’s basketball team.
“I’ve enjoyed the lifelong friends I’ve made while attending Union,” Essex said. “The memories that I’ve made being a part of the basketball team I will never forget. I would tell every freshman to be themselves and get involved in school activities. It makes a huge difference.”
You could say business is the Essex family business. The son of Todd and Dr. Michelle (Miller) Essex, both 1998 graduates of Union’s Business Program, when it came to choosing a college and a major, following in their footsteps was a natural fit.
“Union already felt like a second home,” the Mile High Academy graduate said. “I had visited here a lot while in middle and high school, so I was familiar with the campus and had a lot of friends here. I also enjoy the tight-knit community. It’s fun to be a part of it.” “I chose business because I’ve been around it my whole life,” he continued. “I wanted to pursue business because of the success that can be achieved and the many opportunities that can come from networking.”
As a student at Union, Essex has had four internships with Tyton Holdings. When he graduates in May with his bachelor’s in business administration with emphases in management, accounting, and finance, he’s looking forward to trading in his internship for a full-time position as a controller at the company. We can expect him to rise as quickly in the business world as he does when dunking for his Warrior team.
by Rebekah Fingerson, an English Education major from Wisconsin.