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Wayne State University Athletics

Ilitch 25 under 25

General Jeff Weiss, Senior Associate Director of Athletics/Media Relations

Two Student-Athletes Selected to Mike Ilitch School of Business 25 Under 25

DETROIT -- Wayne State University's Mike Ilitch School of Business announced its 25 Under 25 List for 2026 and two Warrior student-athletes were recognized.  Senior men's basketball player Bryce Esman (Metamora, Mich. / Oxford) and junior women's track thrower Makayla Stewart (Novi, Mich.) earned the award.

Esman has maintained a 3.92 cumulative GPA including multiple 4.0 semesters while pursuing a bachelor of science in business administration with a double major in finance and marketing.  He is expected to graduate in May of 2026.

Esman has gained professional experience both as a licensed Realtor as well as an SEC Reporting intern at United Wholesale Mortgage.  As a realtor with Kelly Esman & Associates he supported client showings, property procurement, and negotiations with his broker.  At UWM he
handled monthly balance sheet and income statement trends, contributed to the preparation of three 10-Q footnotes, and reviewed 600+ fixed assets journal entries while presenting insights to senior leadership.

In addition to his professional experience, Esman earned an athletic scholarship as a four-year varsity letter winner on the Wayne State University Men's Basketball Team. He was named team captain, earned Academic All-Conference honors, and participated in multiple community service initiatives. He also served as the team's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee representative for four years.

Esman will begin his career at JP Morgan Chase as a Commercial and Specialized Industries Banking Analyst.

Stewart maintains a 3.94 GPA while pursuing a Bachelor of Science in business administration with a dual major in global supply chain management and finance with University Honors.  As a student-athlete, she upholds a perfect 4.0 GPA in her major while serving as a captain of the track and field team.  She will graduate in May 2026.

Stewart has gained valuable professional experience through a supply chain internship at General Motors, where she contributed to significant cost management initiatives.  She has also demonstrated strong leadership in a supervisory role, managing a staff of 80 lifeguards while maintaining a safe and productive work environment.

She currently serves as a Teacher's Assistant for Operations and Supply Chain Management, where she supports a class of 200 students.  Stewart's competitive achievements include first-place finishes at several prominent case competitions, most notably the Institute for Supply Management World Case Competition, marking a historic first for Wayne State University.  

In addition to serving as captain of the track and field team, Stewart has held leadership roles in Alpha Kappa Psi, GSCMA and FMA.  She contributes over 100 hours annually to the metro-Detroit area, including her involvement with a suicide prevention nonprofit and Run Your City, making sport accessible across the Detroit community. 

WSU Athletics has been well represented on the list since its inception.  Two student-athletes, Trent Brodbeck (football) and Robin Nickell (men's fencing), were honored in the inaugural class in 2017.  Jessica Murphy (women's basketball), Nick Mutebi (men's basketball) and Troy Saruna (baseball) were recognized in 2018.  The class of 2019 included Brendan Johnson (men's fencing), Josh Nelson (baseball), Ali Scheib (football), Adrianna Waack (women's swimming) and Andy Zimmerman (football), while the 2020 class featured Brendan Bilkovic (baseball), Ellie Dean (women's swimming), Keaton Inglis (men's golf) and Tori Perez (women's basketball).  

In 2021, Taylor McCarty (football) was honored, while a trio of Warriors were selected in 2022 - Laura Cazacu (women's tennis), Donald O'Keefe (men's cross country) and Halle Shell (volleyball).  The following year (2023), saw Mitchell Mychajluk (baseball), Noah Nicklin (football), and Max O'Rourke (men's golf) recognized. Shay Bordine (volleyball) and Dom Spicer (men's tennis) were honored in 2024, and Trevor Jones (men's swimming) was selected in 2025.

From the Mike Ilitch School of Business Release
The Mike Ilitch School of Business has announced the recipients of its 2026 "25 Under 25" award. This award was created for students who demonstrate excellence in academics, leadership, professional development and community service, and embody the values of the Mike Ilitch School of Business and Wayne State University. 

The awardees, listed below, were selected by a panel of executive judges from AAA – The Auto Club Group, Ally, Amsted Automotive Group, Automotive Industry Action Group, BDO, Bishop Linville, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, City of Detroit, Cleary University, Comerica Bank, Danaher Corporation, Detroit Regional Partnership, Detroit Voltage, Elm Analytics, Emergent Holdings, Fifth Third Bank, Ford Motor Company, Fortium Partners, GE Aerospace, Gentex Corporation, Global Real Estate Strategy & Transactions – EDS, GM, HAP, Little Caesar Enterprises, Inc., Michigan Women Forward, Optech, Park Advisory, RKT Holdings, Rocket, Ryder System Inc., University of Michigan Health-Sparrow.
 
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Players Mentioned

Bryce Esman

#21 Bryce Esman

F/C
6' 8"
Senior
Makayla Stewart

Makayla Stewart

Throws
5' 8"
Junior
3-Indoor/2-Outdoor

Players Mentioned

Bryce Esman

#21 Bryce Esman

6' 8"
Senior
F/C
Makayla Stewart

Makayla Stewart

5' 8"
Junior
3-Indoor/2-Outdoor
Throws