Daeveon’s dream of being a writer had to be tempered with the pragmatism of needing to work to contribute to his aunt and uncle’s household. The Sunshine City Scholarship gave him an avenue to pursue a long held passion while also getting the College experience he’d only ever read about. He moved onto the campus just miles south of the Disston Heights neighborhood and watched his world open up to experiences and cultures he’d never seen. He joined the men’s rugby team and made lifelong friends while competing. He expanded his interests from writing to critical reading and took on a second major in literature.
Then, after three years of working in Eckerd College Admissions, giving tours and managing ambassadors, Daeveon seized the chance to spend a semester in London with Professor of Literature Jared Stark.
“As a kid, I didn’t get to travel much. No family vacations, no school trips, nothing. It wasn’t until junior year here at Eckerd that I had the opportunity to study abroad in London,” he explained. “My time there can’t be described as anything other than breathtaking. Traveling out of the country for the first time and observing a completely new culture has ultimately shaped how I see the world now.”
Daeveon has already secured a job with American Power and Gas following graduation, and he plans to attend graduate school to become an educator in the future.
Both young men’s trajectories changed completely because a College in their community invested in their future.
“There is something Eckerd does almost quietly, without you noticing: it expands you,” Mikail said. “Spiritually, intellectually, physically. You arrive as one person, and leave as someone larger.”