Contemplative Conversations

Marlon Blake is a recognized speaker and consultant who focuses on contemplative practices, transformative education, and supporting community college student athletes. In 2016, Marlon Blake was the keynote speaker for the Male Youth Empowerment Conference at California State University, Fullerton.    

 

Marlon works as a Program Coordinator at Fullerton College and as a doctoral research assistant at Cal State Fullerton for the Center for Research on Educational Access and Leadership (C-REAL).  In his role as program coordinator, he works with student athletes to support their holistic success as a student.  Marlon provides the students with life skills coaching, academic resources, and counseling to help them transition into and out of Fullerton College.  At C-REAL, Marlon assists with evaluating educational programs and grants throughout Orange County and LA counties, the state of California, and the United States.  His most recent project involves evaluating the pilot baccalaureate programs within the California Community Colleges. 

​

Marlon was born and raised in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. He later earned his Bachelor's Degree in Sociology from Colorado State University, Fort Collins (CSU). Moving to Colorado, taught Marlon so much about his identity as a black male, student, and citizens. At CSU, Marlon spent much of his time in the Black Student Services Center and was involved in various student organizations such as United Men of Color, Black Student Alliance and Black Definition.  Marlon learned just as much outside of the classroom as he did inside the classroom.

​

After attending Colorado State, Marlon attended Western Illinois University (WIU), where he earned a Masters degree in College Student Personnel. While pursuing his degree, Marlon worked at the Gwendolyn Brooks Cultural Center. There he advised student organizations and developed academic curriculum. Upon graduation, Marlon put theory into practice at the University of California, Berkeley, where he worked as a resident director for a first year residence hall.   After sometime at UC-Berkeley, Marlon worked at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) as an admissions counselor and worked as an assistant baseball coach at Salesian High School. 

​

Currently, Marlon is pursuing his doctoral degree from California State University, Fullerton. His research emphasis focuses on how community college faculty members use contemplative pedagogy in the classroom. He is  currently researching how these practices can better support community college students and improve academic outcomes.  Marlon believes as a community college practitioner that contemplative pedagogy can be implemented in the community college system to better serve student the changing demographics of students.