Marie Eden’s dedication and teamwork leave a big mark at Liberty High School

It’s ironic that Liberty High School senior Marie Eden is such a standout musician, because the quality in herself that she admires the most is her commitment to teamwork.

Eden has participated in choir all four years at Liberty, and has played flute and piccolo in the Liberty instrumental music program since fifth grade. She has also been a member of the softball team and cheerleading squad since her sophomore year.

“I’ve always had a connection to both band and choir,” she said. “My mom was in choir and loves to sing, and my older sister Katie had done choir and also played the flute, so I thought that she could help me.

“I had always wanted to be a cheerleader from the time I was younger and knew about cheer camps. But when COVID happened, the school shut down the cheer program, the coach retired, and it wasn’t until my sophomore year that they found someone willing to start a new squad.”

While she had long had her eye on cheer, the opportunity to play softball was a new one. She’d never played the sport before.

“I had never played softball before, but during the spring of my sophomore year our athletic director said that we needed players and encouraged me to come out. It was hard, but my coach was very patient and went through every step to help me learn.”

Eden also mentioned that her sister had played softball, and that has been a special relationship for her, although Katie is four years older.

“She is my only sister (of four siblings), and she and I have always had a strong connection. I shared a room with her when I was little, and being that close helped us to build our relationship.”

Like her sister and one of her brothers, Eden hopes to build a career in health care. Katie works as a certified medical assistant at the Spokane Veterans Administration Center, and her brother is a volunteer EMT and firefighter.

“I want to be a paramedic because I will get to help people who are sick or injured,” she said. “Helping others makes me feel complete.

“It’s important to me to lift up others in whatever they’re doing and to be a team player. I try to be compassionate, honest, and kind toward everyone and not to let anything hold me back.”

Liberty Principal Aaron Fletcher has recognized those qualities in Eden: “Marie’s commitment to teamwork and her positive attitude make her a role model for her peers. She embodies the values of dedication, perseverance, and school pride, and brings energy and leadership to everything she does.”

Her music instructor, Morgan Pendon, has even more lavish praise:

“Marie has been an amazing force of talent and personality in my groups. She’s been in both my choir and band classes since the seventh grade and has significantly contributed to our program’s development the entire time. Marie is able to run my classes for me, has the respect of her peers, and often remembers concepts and techniques from my teaching better than I do! Her positive personality and dedication to her musicianship has inspired others and helped made our music program the success it is today.”