Damik Bess: Future ESPN Anchor

Damik Bess: Future ESPN Anchor

By Andrew Beachy, English 336

Damik Bess leaned back in his chair, folded his

Damik Bess

arms, and said in a relaxed tone, “My dream life, my dream job, is to be an anchor on ESPN.” Damik is a freshman at Frostburg State, and majoring in Mass Communication. Like many students who come to FSU, Damik has huge hopes for his future. Damik has a track record of perseverance that shows he can make his dream come true.

Originally from Texas, he comes from a family torn due to drug addiction. As he put it, “I come from a long line of failures.” It was rough, and his mother struggled to pay rent on their small apartment. Damik worked small jobs on the side to help make ends meet, but his community was a harsh place to live nonetheless. “It was crazy,” he said. “I’ve seen people get shot. I’ve been shot at.” Damik, his mother, and his sister soon became homeless and moved into a local Salvation Army homeless shelter. Damik briefly left the shelter to visit and stay with a friend, however his mother was nowhere to be found when he returned. Eventually, he moved to live with his great-grandmother in Maryland. Damik’s experiences have taught him a lot about perseverance. “I think I’m wise for my age. I’ve seen things lots of people haven’t.”

Damik’s love of sports comes from high school, where he played track and field, along with football. Although he doesn’t yet play any sports at FSU, he’s thought about trying out for the football team. In the meantime though, he occasionally plays sports with his friends.

Of course, Damik enjoys his free time too. Although his schoolwork keeps him busy, he sometimes watches Netflix and plays video games. Among his favorite video games, he counts FIFA and Madden football. Damik loves food too, especially sushi. “I like all kinds of sushi, but I like some kinds of sushi more than others,” he said. “You could feed me a raw dolphin. I’d eat it!” he said while laughing.

Even though he enjoys his free time, Damik remains focused on his education. After his sophomore year, he plans on transferring to Howard University in Washington D.C., where he will continue his education in Mass Communication. From there, Damik would like to receive his degree and continue to work toward his goal. Damik Bess is absolutely determined to be an ESPN anchor.