The sophomore sports broadcaster was one of three recipients of the Abe Voron Scholarship, presented to students pursuing a career in radio.
Javik Blake, a sophomore journalism major and Communications Fellow, capped off 2020 just as he started it – in award-winning fashion.
The Elon Sports Vision broadcaster and WSOE sports director was recently named the recipient of the Abe Voron Award, a scholarship presented by the Broadcast Education Association (BEA) for students pursuing a career in radio. Blake was one of just three students to receive the $3,000 tuition scholarship.
This honor came just six months after Blake was recognized by the Sportscasters Talent Agency of America (STAA) as the 10th ranked collegiate sports broadcaster in its Jim Nantz Award competition. Blake is the highest ranked first-year student in the history of the award, and the only freshman to place in this year’s top 20.
“It’s always special to be recognized for any award or scholarship in broadcast,” Blake said. “Obviously being a college student, any amount of money toward tuition is a giant help and I’m so grateful that this scholarship will go toward that.”
Vic Costello, chair of the Cinema and Television Arts Department and vice president for academic relations of BEA, commended Blake on his award. “These scholarships are highly competitive and this is a true mark of excellence and distinction for Javik,” he said.
A native of Norton, Massachusetts, Blake currently works alongside Taylor Durham on Phoenix baseball and men’s basketball broadcasts on Learfield/IMG and Elon Sports Vision broadcasts and serves as the play-by-play voice of the Elon women’s basketball team on WSOE. Along with calling games for the Phoenix, the sophomore also works with the High Point Rockers of the Atlantic League, serving as a broadcast and media relations assistant for the independent league baseball club.
“The dream ever since I realized I had no shot of playing sports professionally, which was around when I was 12, has been to have a career in sports broadcasting,” Blake said. “And, as much as this year has been an assortment of letdowns time and time again, getting recognized is always a bright spot and I’m thankful that the BEA has chosen to recognize me with this scholarship.”
Other Abe Voron Award recipients included Zachary Laron, a sophomore at Arizona State University, and Martiza Navar-Lopez, a junior from Illinois State University.
About the BEA
The Broadcast Education Association (BEA) is the premier international academic media organization, driving insights, excellence in media production, and career advancement for educators, students, and professionals. The association’s publications, annual convention, web-based programs, and regional district activities provide opportunities for juried production competition and presentation of current scholarly research related to aspects of the electronic media. These areas include media audiences, economics, law and policy, regulation, news, management, aesthetics, social effects, history, and criticism, among others.