Recent alumna uses her skills in PR and fashion to impact refugees in Lesvos, Greece
Alumna Miriam Blake’s (public relations, ‘25) most formative college experience didn’t happen in a Belmont classroom, rather it began after she crossed the graduation stage last May. Through the Lumos Travel Award, Blake spent August to December living and working on the Greek island of Lesvos, supporting a nonprofit that empowers refugees through skills development and creative design.
The Lumos Travel Award empowers recent graduates, ages 20–26, to pursue immersive global experiences that address real-world challenges while expanding their perspective, purpose and understanding of the world.
When Blake began considering the Lumos experience, she set out to find a destination that could bring together her wide-ranging passions: communications, fashion and service. The island of Lesvos quickly stood out as a place where she knew she could make a meaningful difference.
Purpose Through Design
From August to December, Blake partnered with Safe Passage Bags of Lesvos Solidarity, a nonprofit that transforms discarded life jackets and dinghies into thoughtfully designed bags.
Founded in 2015 during the Greek refugee crisis, Safe Passage Bags has provided renewed security and opportunity to Syrian, Iraqi and Afghan refugees arriving in Greece after fleeing war and instability in their home countries. As refugees reached safe shores, discarded life jackets and dinghies began to litter the beaches of Lesvos. In response, the organization repurposed these materials into symbols of hope and advocacy during crisis.
The organization also offers vocational training in creative design, equipping participants with practical skills to help them rebuild their lives and give them an income, as well as spreading awareness and advocacy through the bags. Through this work, Safe Passage Bags promotes inclusion and sustainable fashion solutions to additionally support the ongoing environmental crisis.
Discovering Strength in Versatility
Safe Passage Bags not only appealed to Blake for its huge humanitarian impact and environmental solution, it also provided her with a way to use and combine her range of talent and gifts.
“I always thought that my interests in fashion and PR were separate,” reflected Blake. “The interesting part about this project is the fact that it gave me the opportunity to combine my degree in public relations and my love for fashion in a beautiful way.”
While working with Safe Passage Bags, Blake helped with tasks such as donor relations and engagement, photography, social media and even screen printing in the organization’s workshop.
“It was important for me to stay adaptable and let go of expectations going into my role,” said Blake. “There were projects that I initially thought would be my main focus, but those shifted based on the needs of the organization at the time.”
Overall, her experience left her with more in-depth knowledge of her personal strengths and career hopes.
“I learned that having a wide range of interests isn’t a weakness, instead it is a strength,” she noted. “I was able to see how all of my different skills could come into play with the variety of work I was doing.”
Unexpected Friendship
Aside from her direct work with Safe Passage Bags, one of the most impactful parts of Blake’s experience in Lesvos was the sense of community she found. Initially, she struggled with feeling like an outsider in an unfamiliar culture, but over time, she built meaningful connections with her coworkers.
“In time, I became very close to the tailors in the workshop, most of them Iranian or Pakistani,” she said. “Although our backgrounds looked so different, we all had this looming commonality that we were not Greek.”
Blake shared that some of her most meaningful memories came from simple, everyday moments — sharing meals, exchanging stories and learning from one another. What began as a workplace connection gradually grew into deep and lasting friendships.
Lessons from Lesvos
As Blake returned to the United States, she identified three main lessons that she would hold close to her from her travel experience.
Confront the Unknown with Curiosity
“I was put in a lot of situations that I wouldn’t experience normally,” she said. “I just started asking questions, and I learned so much context about what was happening around me.”
Using the Arts as Tools
During her time, Blake had the unique opportunity to watch a play performed by women at a safe house about their experience leaving their home country and coming to Lesvos.
“This was the moment I realized that fashion, the arts and theatre play a huge role in the lives of those who have been through difficult times,” she stated. “The arts give people space to express something that could be too difficult to talk about.”
The Power of Sharing Your Story
“It was amazing to watch people around me gain confidence and strength to share and advocate for the things they had gone through,” she said.
Blake’s time in Lesvos ultimately became more than a post-graduate experience — it was a defining chapter that shaped both her perspective and her path forward. As she steps into her next chapter, Blake carries with her a renewed sense of purpose and a commitment to storytelling that empowers voices often left unheard.
Learn More
Learn more about the program in this story