Written by Laura Meader 
Per Colby News - Original Post

Waterville, Maine - As the 2022-23 academic year nears its end, the 15th annual Student Awards Program May 2 provided a moment to pause and recognize students for their academic achievement, leadership, community involvement, and dedication to personal growth.

The capstone moment was the announcement of the Condon Medal winner. President David A. Greene was pleased to present the prestigious award to Margaret "Maggie" Blake '23.

The Condon Medal, established in 1920 through a gift from Randall J. Condon, a member of Colby's Class of 1886, recognizes the finest qualities of citizenship and is the only student award presented at commencement. In Condon's words, "Character is the supreme end of education. Citizenship is the expression of it in the community." The recipient is chosen by the votes of the senior class and faculty.

Blake, who hails from Carlisle, Mass., is a double major in economics and English with a concentration in creative writing. She has been a community engagement chair for the Student Government Association, president of the Maine History and Food Club, a COOT leader, and a member of the cross country and track teams.

Her contributions to the greater Waterville community include completing an ArcGIS mapping project of the parks in Waterville, serving as a Colby Cares About Kids mentor, and teaching Sunday school in Winslow.  

"Maggie is a dedicated learner, strong writer, and creatively sharp thinker with an open heart," said Blake's advisor Arisa White, associate professor of English-creative writing. "She is committed to doing the work in the community, with her peers, because Maggie is rooted in an ethic of empathy that serves to restore our fundamental human dignity. With her gifts to merge different perspectives, shift points of view, to inquire with critical compassion within and without, Maggie makes me look forward to the future, and we all need a future that is shaped by her genius."