Eden Jeffries '07: Freeology

For Eden Jeffries ’07, health and wellness is not just a business venture, it is a personal journey she has been on since childhood. Jeffries spent many years battling mild illnesses and struggling with her weight, but these challenges propelled her on a journey to achieving better health and to becoming an expert on her body. Now she hopes to help others also find their way through Freeology, a wellness lifestyle startup that applies an integrated mind, body, and spirit approach, to provide services and resources in the areas of fitness, nutrition, and education. Its mission is to empower individuals in their journeys toward attaining optimal livelihood. 
 
Jeffries brings a passion for and background in community activism and social justice to her work, having graduated from New York University's Gallatin School of Individualized Study with a concentration in "Art, Community Activism, and Social Justice." She has co-facilitated arts workshops with incarcerated youth in New York City, participated in a South African Arts & Culture program at Wits University, and was a Reynolds Social Entrepreneurship Scholar finalist.

My Marlborough education taught me the capacity for achievement by promoting a high standard for the excellence and leadership of young girls.
 
While social justice and wellness may seem unrelated on the surface, Jeffries feels a close connection between the two areas. “My work is founded upon the idea that developing balanced and optimal bodies that are mentally, physically and emotionally sound is at the core of achieving effective social change.”
 
Through her work, Jeffries seeks to provide an educational structure and community that encourages young people to harness their creativity, strength, and aptitude in order to academically and physically function at his/her highest potential. In part, this approach is modeled after her own educational experience at Marlborough. “My Marlborough education taught me the capacity for achievement by promoting a high standard for the excellence and leadership of young girls,” said Jeffries. “It was an environment that allowed me to not be afraid of cultivating and expressing my individuality. The rigorous work ethic taught me the importance of community support and camaraderie. Lastly, I believe my unique experience as an African-American female at the school instilled a passion in me to provide more accessibility to opportunities for achievement and success in my community.”