Cranston High School West’s Erin Blake was recently named the Rhode Island Interscholastic League Showcase Female Athlete of the Year. She was recognized at Monday’s Cranston School Committee meeting for the honor.

Blake is a senior at West and was captain of both the girls’ soccer and basketball teams. She was an All-League performer in girls’ basketball and was named to the Rhode Island Girls’ Basketball Coaches Association’s All State Academic Team this past winter.

She is a National Honor Society member and a Rhode Island Presidential Scholar’s Award finalist. She is a Student Council member, a Freshman Mentor, and maintains a 4.6 GPA in honors and AP courses.

She is enrolled in the Medical Pathways program at the Cranston Area Career and Technical Center and was recently named one of the top students in the program for the 2016 year. She has participated for the past three years in the SkillsUSA competition both at the state and national levels and has been a top medalist, earning both gold and silver awards.

Blake has done extensive volunteer work in the community, serving as a youth basketball coach and interning at the Cedar Crest Nursing Home and the Rhode Island Hospital Emergency Department.

Blake is the founder and director of a student-run charity organization called “Running for Remission: From Kids to Kids,” which raises the much-needed funds for children who cannot afford medical treatment. With a team of her peers, Blake organized and ran a 5K earlier this school year to benefit the organization.

Blake will be attending the University of Connecticut in the fall, majoring in psychology, physiology, and neurobiology on a pre-med track. 1