What do microscopes, scalpels, and a skeleton all have in common? They are all items one could find in a certain doc’s classroom…. Doc Blaney, of course! Her name is distinct and unmistakable — Doc Blaney is known by all Benet students for her passion for science, her efforts to make all Benet students feel welcome, and her unique and memorable Halloween costumes.

Doc Blaney has been a Benet faculty member for over twenty years and has taught students for nearly forty years. Professor of Honors Biology and Honors Anatomy and Physiology and moderator of the Medical Club, Doc Blaney’s love of teaching spans far beyond the classroom. Before her teaching career, she earned her Doctorate of Podiatry Medicine. She is a favorite among students and faculty alike for her years of experience and her sense of humor and wit.

Liam Hruby: “Why did you choose teaching as your career?”

Doc Blaney: “I love teaching because every day you get the chance to have an impact on young lives who are the future. Days in a teacher’s life are the same. And I want to think that I can’t be replaced by technology. I always go home with a story to tell.”

Liam Hruby: “If you couldn’t teach science, what other subject would you teach and why?”

Doc Blaney: “I was originally going to be an English teacher as I am passionate about how important it is to read.”

Liam Hruby: “What is a hobby or a passion outside of teaching that helps you connect with students?”

Doc Blaney: “I play guitar and enjoy listening to music. I also collect baseball cards. I have cards that date back to the beginning of the 1900’s.

Liam Hruby: “What is the funniest thing that has ever happened with students in your classroom?”

Doc Blaney: “There have been many funny memories but I will only name a few. I remember the time I walked into my empty classroom and a student was dancing to music with my skeleton, the time a freshman turned on the shower in the back of my classroom and almost caused a flood to the cafeteria, [and] the senior that received $35.00 on a dare and ate a piece of the pig heart.”

Liam Hruby: “If you could have any historical figure as a guest speaker in your class, who would it be?”

Doc Blaney: “The historic figure I would bring to the classroom would be Marie Curie. Her defiant nature teaches us not to let rejection negatively affect us, but instead use it as motivation to find another way to succeed.”

Liam Hruby: “When and how did your annual Halloween tradition of the Scream costume begin at Benet?”

Doc Blaney: “I do not remember exactly when I started the tradition, but I just started to wear the costume one year to pretend to scare kids and it became my Halloween fun with the students! They all knew it was me. My white gym shoes gave me away! But it has been fun!”

Truly an integral part of the Benet community, Doc Blaney continues to inspire all students. The halls of Benet would not be the same without her!