Sigma Phi Epsilon - University of Michigan

page 2 A LIFELONG COMMITMENT OF SUPPORT W hen Blake Heidenreich '07 arrived at the University of Michigan to begin his freshman year, joining a fraternity wasn't something he planned on. But everyone he met at Michigan Alpha during recruitment was friendly and welcoming; they were quick to offer an invitation to throw a football around or watch a game. Even after Blake was offered membership in SigEp, he wasn't sure it was something he really wanted. "I was planning on rescinding, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Now, looking back on it, I can't believe it. Joining SigEp was one of the best things I did in college; it just took me a little while to warm up to the idea," he said. That camaraderie Blake experience during recruitment continued once he was living in the chapter house. Living in the house gave him exposure to other people, ideas, and support that he wouldn't have had otherwise. During his sophomore year he ended up changing majors, and Blake credits a big part of that decision to the time he spent talking to Carl Zanardo '05. "There are lots of places to go for guidance in college, but there's a difference between asking a career counselor about a possible summer internship and asking someone who's just finished one. Carl was so helpful in answering all of my questions and exposing me to a different program," he said. How the Support of SigEp Brothers Helped Blake Heidenreich '07 in College and Beyond Blake Heidenreich '07 and brothers spending time in Ann Arbor after a home football game this past fall. From left to right: Blake Heidenreich '07, Ryan Wheeler '07, Matt Fisher '08, Tim Hammond '07, Mike Hilton '07, and Rich Nemesi '08. But brotherhood is more than just career advice and football games; it's a lifelong commitment of support. Blake found that out the summer after his third year at Michigan, when he was involved in a diving accident that broke his spine. He spent four and a half months, through the fall semester, in Ann Arbor at University Hospital recuperating. That year the Sigma class undertook as its class project building a wheelchair ramp, specifically for Blake. When he left the hospital, he met with the Michigan Alpha AVC. With the support of the AVC, he was able to move into the chapter room on the first floor of the chapter house, and the AVC remodeled the first-floor bathroom to be handicapped accessible. "Everyone was really supportive, and I couldn't have moved back into the chapter house without their help. Now I have brothers who serve on the board of directors for my foundation, and they continue to offer their time and expertise," he said. Blake graduated with a bachelor's degree in business administration, and in 2013 he and Carl partnered to start Troy Capital Management. Additionally, in 2012, he founded the Spinal Cord Injury Foundation. Thanks to his recovery and rehabilitation work, Blake is now able to walk with a cane. It was at that point that he became interested in giving back to other people with spinal cord injuries. "The mission of the foundation is threefold: first, to provide educational scholarships to people with spinal cord injuries; second, to provide mentoring for people with spinal cord injuries; and third, to spread awareness about spinal cord injuries," he said. "We were able to give current Michigan senior Drew Clayborn, who suffered a spinal cord injury in high school and was paralyzed from the neck down, a $1,000 scholarship toward his education. Drew is someone I can really relate to, and I know some of what he is going through, and being able to impact his life has really meant a lot to me." You can read more about the Spinal Cord Injury Foundation at www.spinalcordscholarship.org. Blake lives in Canton, Mich., where he is following his passion for investing through his company and running the foundation. In his free time he enjoys traveling; he's been to roughly 35 countries and 49 out of the 50 states. "I'm only missing Hawaii, and I think I'm going to wait on that one for a little while," he said. Blake also enjoys being outdoors, especially going to national parks and kayaking. You can connect with Blake at blake.heidenreich@gmail.com.

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