BLAKE MORILLAS

What’s the name we know you by? Blake Morillas
What is your relationship status? Married for 8 wonderful years!
If in a relationship, please share your partner's name, how long you've been together, and how you met! Dani Morillas. You met her at the 10 year reunion. We have been together since 2008, married since 2014.
Do you have children or pets? Tell us about them! One son, our little man, James Robert "J.R." Morillas, who just turned 3!
Where are you living? Where else have you lived? Bought a house and moved back to Loomis in 2020. Previous to that we were in Folsom for 6 years. Previous to that I was in Chico for 12 years.
What do you do for a living? Associate Government Program Analyst for the California Department of Social Services.
What other jobs have you had? What was/is your favorite? It all started with Taco Bell in highschool. Then Target while in college (where I met my wife). After graduating I worked for a tech startup in Chico (build.com) before joining the state in 2014. Looking back at it all, I think my most favorite is Taco Bell. My first check of $300 just seemed so huge and all I had to pay for was gas for my car :-)
What are you most proud of doing since graduating from high school? Finding that perfect woman who wants to be by your side no matter what. Taking her to places she never thought she would see. Spending more than we make on travels but that's okay, cuz we keep on progressing in our careers. Getting married, buying a house, starting a family. Really living that American dream.
What do you want to do but haven’t done yet? I would love to go to Germany for Oktoberfest. I would also love to take my wife to England and Germany to hunt down any relatives she may have. You know, travel to every country your ancestry DNA report says you're made up of :-)
What are your hobbies? How do you like to spend your free time? I've been homebrewing since 2008 and still find so much joy from it. This year has been especially fun cuz I decided to enter my beer into a couple of fairs. My Smoked Porter just one "Best of Show" at the 2022 Gold County Fair.
What are you currently watching/streaming on Netflix, Prime, HBO or Hulu, etc? And/or what are you currently reading? Well, who doesn't like sci-fi? I've been watching all the news Star Treks and Star Wars streaming series. And who doesn't love a little drama too. I recommend rewatching The West Wing and The Sopranos (including "The Many Saints of Newark") if it's been a while. They still hold up today. As for reading, I'm an avid fan of James Bond (hell, my son James is named after him). It's taken years, but I now have hardback copies of every book that is canon. I'm currently halfway through the massive collection :-)
In what ways have you changed or stayed the same since high school? (for example: likes & dislikes, world views, etc. ) I'm still as sanguine as ever, even a little more so now that I'm a parent. I was going to say I'm a little more muted when it came to politics, however Trump change that. With attacks on LGBTQ rights, and especially with the overturn of Roe v. Wade, I'm now more liberal than ever and unapologetic for it. The best part is now I can vote with my dollars and refuse to travel anywhere in this country where my wife and friends are second class citizens. For too long we've dumbed down things, it's time we work on bettering the masses so we don't have to do that anymore. . . so I guess you could say nothing has changed with me lol
Is there anything you miss or anything about which you reminisce about high school? There's plenty I miss about high school. I miss being so close to a lot of friends. I miss where all I had to worry about was putting gas in my car and having enough money to go see a movie or go to Denny's in Newcastle after the football games on Fridays. Life was simple and complicated at the same time, and I enjoyed every minute of it.
Do you have any favorite high school teachers or classes or after-school activities that have made a positive difference in your life? Every single teacher I have had, from kindergarten through college, has made me who I am today. I think the most impactful class I ever took in high school had to be Leadership for reasons you might not think. After being in that class for 4 years, I learned that no matter what you do for others, you have to do things for yourself. You have to, you must take care of yourself first. It's just like they tell you when you get on an airplane, you have to put the oxygen mask on yourself first before you help others.
Anything else you'd like to share with us? It truly bums me out to no end that I am not able to be at the reunion. I had such a blast at the 10-year that I was really looking forward to this. However after being locked down for 2 years with covid restrictions, a well-planned family vacation couldn't be moved. Believe me when I say I miss all of you and I wish you could be in Maui with me.
Are you on LinkedIn or social media and want to share your accounts? Have a business website or email address you want to share? Post links or @ names here. At this point who isn't on Facebook lol.