Embracing change and uncertainty to follow a passion

In the summer of 2020, 19-year-old Las Vegas resident Hank Higgins (BSBA ’25) was ready for his freshman year at the University of Southern California (USC). He had set his course schedule, packed his car and had secured his roommate.

But one week before classes began, USC announced all courses would move online because of the COVID pandemic.

Higgins tried to defer his enrollment, but his request was denied. So he dropped out, rented an apartment and found a job working for a sports marketing company.

“It was amazing,” Higgins says. He traveled, gained valuable work experience and took his first steps toward his passion for a career in the sports-business and entertainment industry.

While he was working, he applied to several colleges — again — for the 2021 academic year. Higgins was accepted at USC again and to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Higgins didn’t know anyone applying to Carolina, and he’d never lived on the east coast, but he chose UNC. He loved the potential he saw in the course offerings, campus experiences and the passion of UNC sports fans and teams.

His decision was also unintentionally a somewhat familial choice: His mother attended UNC and his dad attended USC. “It was like I was picking a favorite parent,” Higgins says.

He applied for admission to UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School’s Undergraduate Business Program (UBP)  following his first year at Carolina. Initially, he was denied. “That was a big moment,” Higgins says. “It was like, ‘Wow, did I make the right decision at the end of the day?’”

He contemplated switching his career focus toward banking or consulting for a better chance at acceptance. But ultimately, he knew he wanted to work in sports — and study business at UNC Kenan-Flagler. He met with admissions counselors for application feedback before dividing his next year into three goals: academic improvement, campus involvement and work experience.

By the year’s end, Higgins had joined five different campus organizations — including three where he held leadership position. He made the dean’s list and interned with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in the global partnerships division.

The next year, he was accepted into the UBP in what he calls a “full circle moment.”

Higgins’ business courses immediately piqued his curiosity and grew his skill set.

In the Entrepreneurship Lab taught by Professors Ted Zoller and Melissa Geil, he learned about the core values of an entrepreneur. Those learnings extended beyond simply running your own business. Higgins learned how to operate best in business, positive time values and how to discern his drives and motivations. He discovered he was a connector, meaning he loves connecting others and he’s driven by relationships in a work setting.

He wasn’t entirely surprised. He has 30 immediate cousins — his father is one of 10 siblings — and his childhood was filled with family togetherness and all that comes with big family gatherings and feelings.

“Growing up, the biggest things I picked up on were learning how to listen, how to communicate and manage conflict,” Higgins says. “I saw the business side of sports as being the perfect area to apply those strengths.”

His negotiations class with Professor Chris Petsko was another instrumental course. Through live simulations with classmates, he learned the skills and behaviors of successful negotiations “That was probably my favorite class,” Higgins says. “I also realized it will be relevant to what I want to do later in life.”

As the COO of the Carolina Sports Business Club (CSBC), Higgins helped negotiate and push forward an official affiliation with UNC Kenan-Flagler. He continued that collaboration into the next year, when he was elected club president. The partnership, Higgins says, gave more students the option to pursue dual interests in sports and business through their academic explorations.

During his final semester, Higgins oversaw a CSBC trek to Raleigh. He led 25 students under UNC Kenan-Flagler supervision with visits to Wasserman Sports Agency, USA Baseball and the Carolina Hurricanes. “It gave a lot of opportunities for students that were in business who weren’t considering sports for their careers, but began to see it was an option,” Higgins says.

Simply being in the McColl Building had an impact on him. Learning alongside students from very diverse backgrounds “made it exciting to learn,” Higgins says.

He initially struggled to adjust to academic life, but once he began taking UNC Kenan-Flagler courses, that struggle faded away.

He was inspired by his professors and his fellow students, including a classmate whose research focused on finding global climate change solutions in South Africa.

“You can go there not having a concrete plan for your future, and the second you get there, the UBP career team opens the doors for any kind of career path,” Higgins says. “You learn from the people you’re surrounded by about so many different things.”

During his final academic semester, Higgins interned remotely for USL League One soccer. After graduation, he moved to New York City and worked in various part-time opportunities with the sports marketing industry throughout the summer while he continued his search for the right full-time opportunity.

In September 2025, he accepted a job with Gersh Sports as a basketball analyst, working on analytics, talent evaluation, research and client operations. He hopes to be an NBA talent management agent one day.

Higgins is often asked in interviews about one of the best decisions he’s ever made. Without hesitation, he points to his gap year.

“I wanted to work in sports, and I’m really passionate about it,” Higgins says. “But five years from now, there’s a chance I won’t be,” he says. “So having that time of evaluating where I wanted my life to go and thinking about the opportunities available to me taught me that life will be hard. There will be a lot of changes. You have to be adaptable.”