TCA Monthly Alumni Spotlight – Mike Bliss

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Meet the TCA Athletics Department and its most recent Baseball Hall of Famer, Mike Bliss. Also known as Mike “The” Bliss, he is a 1986 TCA Alum and our most recent TCA Alumni Spotlight.

Mike was a baseball heavyweight during his time at TCA. At the time of his graduation, he held 7 single-season and career records, and his 1985 season was literally a "knock out of the park." That year alone, Mike had 9 home runs, placing him 3rd on the all-time list, and a batting average of .563, placing him 2nd on the all-time list, only .003 behind the leader. Mike’s total career home runs of 18 still holds 2nd place on the all-time list, nearly 50 seasons later, and his .454 career batting average and 42 stolen bases still sit atop the TCA record books. After graduating, Mike played baseball at Tennessee Temple University and obtained additional degrees from Liberty University and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

Thinking about what he is most proud of regarding his career so far, Mike reflected on the 28 years he served in the United States Air Force.

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“I spent 8 years enlisted and got accepted to attend Officer Training School and rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel,” said Mike. “I enjoyed being a commander and helping people reach their goals.”

However, in the Bliss Family, Mike is not the only TCA Alumnus. Mike shares his alma mater with his loving wife, Dawn, who also is a TCA Alum from 1981. Together Mike and Dawn have four beautiful children and two grandchildren. When not training for a triathlon or simply enjoying the retired life, Mike and Dawn enjoy serving as directors for the Trinity Camp and Retreat Center. In this role they guide and support others and share lessons learned during their time at TCA. Mike cherishes learning to be a leader, while Dawn learned the importance of relationships and strong values.

“Trinity taught me to embrace life-long friendships through shared experiences [and] the foundation to form my values, mainly with verse memorization,” said Dawn. “So often a verse will come to mind when I'm seeking direction and it's because I was required to learn them throughout my time at Trinity.”

TCA also impacted Mike’s relationship with God through his teacher Mr. Voos who challenged him and his classmates in Bible class to dig deeper to understand why they believed what they believed.

Mike and Dawn are sincerely grateful for how TCA blessed them during their time—spiritually, emotionally, and academically—and encourage prospective students and their parents/caregivers to consider TCA. For prospective students, Mike offers the following advice:

“What a great opportunity to grow! The school classes are just the right size, and school leadership cares not only about academic growth but also spiritual development.”

For parents/caregivers, Dawn urges them to remember their role in their child's spiritual development:

Encourage your child to be a light shining in darkness because even though Trinity is Christian in its institutional values, we can't expect it to shelter our kids from worldly values in their peer group,” she said. “We can however teach our kids to incorporate the fruits of the Spirit in all of their interactions (Galatians 5:22-23). I believe that's the key to success not just at Trinity but throughout one's entire life.”

To learn more about TCA and how it empowered other alum like Mike and Dawn Bliss to discover and live out their God-given purpose, visit https://tcajax.org/.

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