Evon Thompson
Evans High School Orlando, FL
Evon graduated from Evans High School and will be attending Harvard University this fall to study neuroscience. He is passionate about his vast service to his community from distributing food during holidays to raising awareness for suicide prevention resources.
In five years, Evon hopes to be in medical school studying towards becoming a neurosurgeon. He would like to establish healthcare reforms in underserved communities and developing countries.
“Opportunity knocks but once”
What the Empowering Greatness Scholarship Means to Evon
For me, the Farah & Farah Empowering Greatness Scholarship offers an opportunity to not only cover my educational expenses but to fulfill my aspirations and goals.
Education:
- Evans High School
- Harvard University
Clubs:
- Evans Community Partnership School Student Leadership Council-Conducted council meetings, initiate leadership summits, community projects, food & clothing drives, faculty appreciation celebrations, and community resource fairs, and organize student focus group centered on-campus health and wellness. Supervised newsletter highlighting student achievement, provide Evans Community School leadership with feedback and input from student in the development, planning, and implementation of student programs and resources, and report on Student Leadership Council monthly progress.
- Mother’s Caregiver- Supported mother with stage 2 breast cancer. Scheduled and attended her medical appointments, order nutritional supplements and medications, complete housekeeping tasks, and sterilize items.
- National BETA Club- Guided executive board in planning and hosting monthly service projects, like supervising children at homeless shelter, and raise awareness to youth homelessness in Orlando area.
- Neuroscience Club- Coordinated meetings concerning brain structure, cognition, behavior, and neurodegenerative disorders, and hosted student lecturers from the University of Central Florida (UCF) Neuroscience Alliance to prepare for Brain Bee competition.
- Next Generation Coalition- Co-founder- Institute for Educational Leadership and Communities in School- Initiated a national alliance of youth leaders to dismantle oppressive systems and rebuild sustainable, equitable communities.
- Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council– Assisted OCPS superintendent with developing and evaluating school improvement plans; consider issues and topics, such as school start times and postsecondary options that affect high schools; generate creative solutions for problems that students encounter.
- Elevation Scholars Club- Educated students in preparation for the college admissions process, provide career networking opportunities, and exposure to various fields of interest.
- RISE Up (Gardening Club)- Demonstrated multifaceted systems for growing food in an urban environment, improved garden beds through science and art, renovated greenhouse and supervised transplantation of plants. Educated 30+ students on producing food in a food desert, and renovated school and community vegetation yearly.
- Poetry Club- Participated in writing competitions and explored distinct poetry forms, critiqued slam and spoken word poetry, performed Dub poetry at community gatherings and school-
- Evans High School Parent Teacher Student Association Meetings, Student Leadership Council
Community Involvement:
- Coalition for the Homeless, BETA Club- Engaged and supervised children in a homeless shelter for a fun and productive day
- Evans Community School Holiday Food Giveaway Drive, Student Leadership Council- Distributed food and holiday supplies to more than 500 families in Pine Hills community
- Evans High School Trojan Service Day, Student Leadership Council- Cleaned, painted and landscaped local community and schools to restore pride
- Earth Day Campus Beautification Project, BETA Club- Led gardening projects to enable the sustainability of campus vegetation
- Covenant House Candle Light Vigil, BETA Club- Honored and raised awareness of homeless youth in Orlando and across the nation.
- Food & Clothing Drives, BETA Club- Distributed school, clothing and food supplies for students in need and for hurricane relief.
- Suicide Prevention Walk, BETA Club- Raised awareness for suicide prevention resources and memorialized victims of suicide
- Evans High School Infinite Scholars Night, BETA Club- Supported students and program managers by directing families, and logging student scholarship information
- Mayor’s MLK Commission- Honored the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with 6 acts of service throughout the community, including cleaning and painting a middle school
- Volunteer, Morehouse College Greater Orlando Upward Bound Math and Science Program
Hobbies:
- Watching historical documentaries
- Writing poetry
- Volunteering
