This past May, Blastos, a political science and leadership studies double major, drove through West Texas on I-10, traveling from El Paso to San Antonio. As miles of open freeway stretched out ahead, he watched as the setting sun blazed across the horizon, reflecting vibrant shades of orange, magenta, and purple off the hood of the full-size Ford Bronco he purchased with money he saved from working on campus.

“I wanted a rugged, capable vehicle for exactly this kind of expedition,” he said.

He was a few days into a cross-country journey, winding his way from Northern Virginia to Atlanta and Pensacola, through Texas and Arizona, to his hometown in San Jose, California. There, he would pause for a few days to visit family and friends before heading back east.

“It was just me on the highway, maybe another driver every now and then,” he said. “It was an incredible feeling to be so far from home, and to be in the position to experience that sunset.”

The two-week, 7,800-mile trek marked the end of another journey for Blastos.

Time for contemplation

Pursuing the award was a way to carry on the legacy of his grandfather and namesake, Colonel Constantine James Blastos, who served 35 years in the U.S. Army and then worked at the Pentagon before he retired. He’d never met his grandfather, who died before he was born. On a family trip to Constantine’s grave in Arlington Cemetery, Blastos was struck by seeing his name etched into the stone. It made him consider the impact of his own life.

“It hit me. One of the most honorable things you can do is to work and advocate for others and to serve them. I wanted to honor my namesake and be the type of man that he would have been proud of," he said. "I’m the kind of person who likes to set challenges and overcome them, and I really wanted to push myself.”

The required service and development hours naturally fit into his daily activities when Blastos was in high school, but when it was time for his expedition, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic forced him to change his plans. Instead of a multi-night travel experience, Blastos took a virtual trip to Phoenix, Arizona, by exploring landmarks, museums, Native American heritage sites, and desert landscapes and ecosystems.

His research resulted in a 10-page paper that fostered a new appreciation for the cultural richness of the American Southwest — and left him more eager than ever to experience the region’s terrain and culture.

Resilience on the road

This year, Blastos planned a cross-country trip. He saw an opportunity to recreate the travel experience he missed.

His trip through Arizona took him through a web of small towns and to the rim of the Grand Canyon. He saw an inactive volcano, coyotes, and a vast expanse of rugged landscapes — all of which he’d already studied from afar.

Just as intended, the trip tested his resiliency and self-reliance in new ways. Before hitting the road, he mapped out a route with must-see destinations sourced from friends, family, and the internet, leaving room for unexpected detours. Blastos sped across the Bonneville Salt Flats in northwestern Utah, leaving his Bronco caked with salt. In New Mexico, he followed an off-road trail until the terrain became too rough, then had to carefully reverse back down the rocky path.

The challenges continued. When Blastos set out from Grand Teton National Park to Mount Rushmore, his car got stuck in a Wyoming snowbank. As night fell, he started to worry as he struggled to gain traction until a couple from Georgia arrived in their truck and towed him out.

“There comes a point where you have to acknowledge you screwed up, go to the side of the road, and try to flag someone down to help,” he said. “It was a very humbling thing to do.”

Back on the road, Blastos continued toward Mount Rushmore and then began to head east. Once again, a radiant sunset filled the sky — this time in the rearview mirror.

“That’s when it hit me,” he said. “This is real. I’m no longer just planning my life. I’m living it.”

By the end of his journey, the Richmond College Student Government Association officer, who one day hopes to have a career in law or public service, had visited 26 states.

Blastos credits his Jepson School classes, including the one he took with political science professor Daniel Palazzolo for his increasing interest in public service and advocating for the common good. 

“UR has taught me the only limits that exist are the ones you accept,” he said. “This trip was a natural extension of that mindset. I found that resilience, partnered with a grateful heart, can dissolve even the most intimidating mountains.”