Name: Brock Eskildsen
Hometown: Murrieta, CA
Major: Fire Science with a minor in Emergency Management
Why did you choose Anna Maria College?
I chose Anna Maria College for many reasons, including the fire science department and professors like the fire chiefs we have on campus. They showed me from day one that they cared about me and wanted me to succeed, and I felt they wanted me here. This goes with the baseball program as well. Other schools treated me like just another person but here I could tell they truly cared. I made a great decision to attend Anna Maria College. The small school atmosphere is something I did not know I would like; however, I grew to love it.
What are some of your favorite memories?
Living on campus throughout the last four years was so memorable, it is hard to narrow down some of the most fun things I have done here. Being able to live with your friends every day and just have fun with them was such a great experience, it will be sad when we won’t be able to hang out together like we used to. What I will miss the absolute most is working as a commentator with my friend, Bob Ross. We provided commentary for all the sports on campus and would do the broadcast for the online streaming of the games, we had a lot of fun doing that over the years.
What was your greatest accomplishment during your four years?
I wanted to make the most out of my time here and I did a lot of great things. I was able to get my EMT certification while in school and this gave me the opportunity to work at the Leicester Fire Department for three years where I served as an EMT/Firefighter while also being enrolled. I also served as the on-campus EMT here at Anna Maria during the Covid testing in 2020/2021. I ended up graduating with a bachelor’s degree in fire science and a minor in emergency management in only three years. Being a part of the baseball team these last four years was incredible, taking the team to its first ever championship is something I’ll never forget.
What will you miss the most about Anna Maria?
I will miss New England and all the things and people that are here. Not being from this area, I really did fall in love with New England. I love the historical aspects and how different it is from Southern California. What I will miss most are all the friends I made here. I will make sure I come back to visit them. I will also come back to check out the new baseball field when it is built. I hope the future classes enjoy this new athletic space.
What are your plans for the future?
Since 2022, I started working with the United States Forest Service where I work as a firefighter on an engine company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. Our job with the forest service is to fight wildfires out West during the ever-growing fire season. I love my job and where I work, I plan on staying with the forest service for many years to come. I was one of three people hired that year from over 2,500 applicants, I can’t thank Anna Maria enough because without my fire science degree and my work experience at Leicester, I would have never gotten hired. My captain also likes to say without my baseball background I would also not have gotten hired, since I play a crucial role on the fire department’s softball team.
Any advice for the Class of 2027?
Enjoy it, check your emails, talk to your advisors. This school offers so many opportunities that I believe not enough students take advantage of. All my opportunities came from meeting with my advisor and simply talking to them and creating a relationship with them.
