Balancing leadership, learning and life

When Jason Blik ‘25 completed his bachelor’s degree in personnel administration last August, he knew his education wasn’t finished. By May, he will also hold an MBA in finance from Central Michigan University—a step he said became possible because of CMU’s flexibility.

“CMU has a great finance program, and I was able to do 100% of the classes online,” he said.

Alongside graduate school, Blik works as a branch manager at Huntington Bank. The role keeps him busy, but the ability to pursue his degree while managing professional responsibilities confirms that he made the right choice.

Why choose graduate school now?

Blik had been considering graduate school for years but hadn’t found the right time.

“I wanted an advanced degree for a long time, and I really haven't had the opportunity to do it until recently,” he said. “COVID kind of hit me to say, you know, if you’re going to do it, you’ve got to do it now.”

That decision, he said, is already paying off.

“I’ve grown a lot in the area of leadership and in motivational [skills],” Blik said. “I’ve done a lot of upskilling for the people that work for me, and that came from classes like the digital leadership class.”

Lessons in leadership

One of the biggest surprises of graduate school has been the sheer number of group projects. But those experiences, Blik explained, have expanded how he views leadership.

“I’ve learned more about leadership on a global scale,” he said. “I understand leadership from how Huntington presents it, but now understanding more how businesses do it all over has really helped me be able to help [clients].”

That perspective has become part of how he advises the business owners he works with every day.

Finding balance

Between work, school, and family, Blik said balance requires careful planning.

“Grad school is a bit more intense than undergrad,” he said. “I need to do a better job at scheduling my time. This semester I’ve had to read multiple books all within a week, which I never had to do before.”

To stay grounded, Jason keeps a paper checklist and organizes his tasks into smaller steps. Just as importantly, he makes space for his family.

“I do a lot of scheduling dates with my wife and time with my kids,” he said. “I try to keep things bite-sized so that I’m not overwhelmed with an entire day’s worth of schoolwork so that I can stay present for my wife and kids.”

Evening walks with his wife, he added, have become one of his favorite ways to recharge before returning to coursework.

What's on the horizon?

Blik’s long-term goal is to move into multi-location management at Huntington Bank.

“My goal is to be able to help more people,” he said. “In this role, I help about 12 different bankers help people. In the further roles, I wouldn’t be working one-on-one with customers anymore. I’d only be working with the people who work with customers, which just gives me the ability to multiply my effort.”

He is also proud of the academic milestones he has achieved along the way.

“I made the president’s list once. I’d love to do that again,” Blik said. “I’ve been on the dean’s list multiple times, but it was really cool to get a straight A for one semester.”

His advice for others

For professionals considering graduate school, Blik’s guidance is clear.

“I would say do it. I would say, you know, there’s no time like the present,” he said. “The best time to get your degree was 20 years ago. The next best time is now.”