Blake Eden ‘03 has always been adventurous, seeking new experiences from a young age. She came to MX as a new junior and notes “the whole experience of boarding school was kind of a novelty throughout my time.” Although Blake only had two years to forge the friendships other students had four years to foster, one would never know it by the deep bond she shares with classmates long after the bells of graduation rang. While attending Franklin and Marshall and working summers at the HF Bar Guest Ranch in Saddlestring, WY, Blake embarked on the first of many lifetime adventures, using her skills learned at boarding school and the close relationships she made there. She took a semester off in college to travel with Rachel Banay ’03 around New Zealand and spent her last semester of college in London before continuing her world travels to China, Vietnam, India and Nepal, meeting up with fellow MX grads Jodie Zhang ’03 and Hunter Marston ’03 along the way. However, Blake feels that her trip to Kenya with former MX roommate Jesse McKenna ’04 was an especially significant experience that set the course for the rest of her life.
While Blake had always planned to move to New York City and find employment, she knew it was expensive and she would be living on a very tight budget. Furthermore, she could not guarantee herself that she would love or even like her job. The move just didn’t feel right. Therefore, despite most of her friends living in NYC, Blake decided she would have to return to the lifestyle that had defined her life for numerous summers. With a packed car, Blake headed to Bozeman, MT in search of a satisfying job. Calling her move west “the best decision I ever made,” Blake found herself two years later moving to Billings, MT where she began working for, fittingly, an adventure travel company.
Since Blake boxed in college to stay fit, she searched for a way to join a similar gym in Montana. With no boxing gym in the area, Blake was quick to check out the roller derby league she had heard about from a friend, figuring it was a great alternative. Blake joined Magic City Rollers (MCR), enrolling in the Fresh Meat program and testing into the league in January 2014. During her first six months, Blake began managing the Magic City Rollers Facebook page and when the board of the MCR needed a new Marketing Director, Blake was the first to jump right in. A year and a half later, Blake is still ecstatic about not only her position within the league and job at the Montana Department of Transportation, but about the steps that she took to reach this point in her life. She notes, “I love derby for the thrill of the sport and the friendships I’ve built within my time. It’s a bit like boarding school – you know your teammates better than anyone else. They see you at your best and worst, and you form a bond that is different than any other friendship.”
Blake is quick to point out that her experience at Middlesex had a profound influence on her confidence to make the decisions she did after graduation. When asked who had an impact on her throughout her time at MX, she simply stated, “who didn’t?!” While the education and programs were a significant part of her time at Middlesex, for Blake it was “the people that made it an unparalleled experience.” Evoking sentiments many MX grads often feel, Blake identifies her connection with her classmates as truly special: “MX friends are still some of my closest, and there is not a single alum I went to school with that I wouldn’t be excited to see, even if we haven’t had any contact since our high school graduation.”
Blake Eden reminds us that no matter the length of time a student spends at Middlesex, the School’s values ring true regardless of the path you choose to take. Indeed, Blake’s advice to students is to “trust your gut, take risks and act on dreams.” After all, Middlesex prepares you for it.
photo credit: Chad Nodland