Markel is currently a junior in the UB School of Management and is pursuing a degree in marketing. He serves as a board member for StartUp Grind Buffalo, a global community sponsored by Google that is dedicated to inspiring, educating and connecting entrepreneurs. His research interests include consumer behavior, factors/magnitude in financial market fluctuations, and game development for marketing purposes. Markel is currently a New York State certified life and health insurance intern/agent at Massachusetts Mutual of Buffalo, where he helps deliver financial services to assist individuals in protecting their future and loved ones. He has been the recipient of many prestigious awards, including the Western New York Prosperity Scholar and Fellowship award (2014-2016) and the first place award at UB’s first annual elevator pitch competition, and has been inducted into the Chi Alpha Epsilon National Honor Society. Markel accepts that the future is as dynamic as he is. He lives life day to day, and the only thing he has planned for his future is to be in a position to capitalize on any opportunity of interest that presents itself. This is the way he has always lived life, and he is a firm believer that “Everything happens for a reason.”