By Evie’s admission, she has blossomed since she transferred back to Meridian. Initially, she expended much energy to stave off old, anxious instincts. “When I first came here, I was probably the most introverted that you can think of,” she describes. “I think the school really pulled me out of my comfort zone into another kind of comfort zone.” This new comfort zone, Evie says, is expansive, inclusive, and growing larger every day. The benefits are observable: frequent hellos from classmates in the halls, membership to multiple, unique friend groups, and a solid foundation of emotional support.

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The availability of friendships is necessary for Evie, as she’s understandably picky about who she places her faith and trust in. “I’ve had a lot of ups and downs with friends over the past couple of years,” she says, detailing the value she places on genuine camaraderie. She says she’s lucky to have at least one close friend who has “stuck with her the entire time,” their trust representative of the lasting bonds that so many students at Meridian find in the mindset of inseparability that resonates within our community.

 

Knowing these things about Evie, it only makes sense that she would pursue two courses of study at the college level that examine the particularities of humanity: psychology and art. She isn’t sure if she’ll jump directly into enrollment at SIUC or pace herself and start classes at Shawnee Community College before moving on. Regardless of Evie’s choice, she already has a jump on the art bit. She creates art in a variety of styles, from photorealistic to illustrative. Her preferred medium is pencil, but she’s an ace with markers, digital photo editing, and watercolor paint (though she’s taken a break from painting).

 

When she joined Educators Rising, a community-based teacher preparation program for high school students, it was because she resonated with the image of herself as an art teacher. She’s still open to that idea but has yet to be ready to commit to a sole career path. What’s crucial for her 10-year plan is a more straightforward desire to be surrounded by the people she loves. The prospective job may change forms a thousand times over by then, but the fulfillment Evie receives from her relationships with those she cares about reinforces the crux of her world best traveled. Because we’re never alone if we can appreciate the beauty around us, and that’s Evie’s lesson for us today.