Senior tennis player Chester Espie has proven himself to be a standout in both the athletic and academic realms at Stetson. He started his career by being named to the Atlantic Sun All-Freshman team. In his sophomore season, he won 21 straight matches to break the Stetson record for consecutive singles victories. He has been nationally ranked for doubles with his partner, Laurynas Antropikas. As a captain this season, he has led the team to a strong start in conference play. But the New Zealand native's success is not confined to the tennis court.
Like most Finance majors at Stetson, Chester found himself participating in the prestigious Roland George Investments program, a student-directed experience that allows participants to manage a real portfolio of stocks and bonds. Chester, who has kept a 3.6 grade point average, said this was his favorite class at Stetson because of the hands-on experience in a nationally-recognized program.
“It's not really a class, it's more like a real job or internship,” said Espie. “You're working with real money, real companies, and real stocks, which is why it was so full-on. It's like a finance boot camp, and you learn so much. I have to thank Dr. Ma, the director of the program, for all the time he spent working with us.”
Dr. C.K. Ma, Ph.D., the Roland George Chair of Applied Investments, spoke highly of Chester, highlighting the fact that Chester has been one of his most successful students throughout his years at Stetson. “He was able to estimate or forecast a company's earnings better than Wall Street professional analysts, better than the management itself,” said Ma. “He spent 80 hours to 100 hours on this particular stock with me. He was able to think independently and solve problems. He would try any possible way to reason through any problem, and because there are no answers and no text book, he had to figure it out. I think his best trait is his competitiveness as well as the work ethic.”
When it came to understanding the academic expectations at Stetson, Chester had a lot of people to look to for guidance. “The tennis team is smaller, so the seniors try to help out the freshmen with whatever classes they're struggling with, and they also encourage each other to get good grades to show the freshmen how it's done. Even the alumni that I still talk to are all doing amazing at whatever they're doing, and I think that starts with the high expectations on the tennis team to get the best grades.”
This culture of excellence can be largely attributed to the coaching staff comprised of Director of Tennis Pierre Pilote and Associate Head Coach Christophe Noblet. “We have a general statement that we want them to achieve their highest potential both as a student and as an athlete and we facilitate that as much as we can,” said Pilote. “GPA-wise, we have a '3.5 and above' baseline, but again, it varies. Some people can achieve a lot more, and some people work very hard to achieve maybe a little less, as long as they reach their full potential.”
The rigorous academic course load and busy athletic schedule may have been too stressful for some, but according to Coach Pilote, Chester always had a smile on his face. “He has a bon vivant in French, he is outgoing and likes to have fun,” said Pilote. “He's always been a great personality on the team and he's matured tremendously since he's been here.”
With the countdown to graduation continuing to race by, Chester has only good things to say about his experience. “[The Tennis team] is a bit of a family. We look out for each other. It has been an amazing experience. I want to thank my teammates and my coaches for helping me in tennis, the classroom, and life in general.”
Congratulations Chester Espie, the March Student-Athlete of the Month!
