As a kid, Blake Page played a lot of video games. He still does, but there was one game that influenced him as a child and continues to influence him now – The Sims computer game. Once his sister brought home the game, he kept playing. With the many features, such as building character lives, the main thing Blake did was design houses and community buildings. “I would just sit there and build different buildings and that’s what really got me interested in taking the architecture field seriously.” Now, as a senior in high school, Blake’s interest in architecture is even more tangible as he prepares to pursue a degree in the field.

This fall, Blake will attend Hampden Sydney College. While the school doesn’t have an architecture major, it has an architecture track which will prepare Blake for graduate school. He also plans to play football for the school, another aspect that attracted him to Hampden Sydney. “We have a great program and I felt like academically and athletically it would be the best fit for me and my future.” One lesson Blake will take with him to college is to not procrastinate on anything whether it be assignments or just in general “because you might miss a big opportunity.”

Blake will attend Hampden Sydney College with his twin brother, who will also play football for the school. “I’ve been involved in organized football since I was 5,” Blake said. “My father also played football so he got us into that.” Blake said both he and his brother have enjoyed playing the sport and have seen a lot of success over the years.

While he is still in high school, Blake stays active with football, Future Business Leaders of America and as the vice president of his church’s youth usher board. A few summers ago, he also volunteered for his church’s youth summer camp as a counselor for the younger children. His favorite part about being a counselor was “teaching them what I’ve learned in my few years in life. Just teaching them how to not make the mistakes I’ve made and just setting a great example for them.” With his extracurricular activities keeping him busy, Blake still works hard in school and currently maintains a 3.67 GPA.

One of Blake’s biggest inspirations and motivators is his twin brother. “We’re both very competitive people and we strive to be the best at everything, even with each other,” Blake said. “He pushes me in school, athletically and just to be better. He’s always been there for me.” Blake said with the support of his brother and by them pushing each other, they have helped each other be successful. As the school year comes to a close, Blake plans to continue being successful in college and his future career.