Daeveon\u2019s dream of being a writer had to be tempered with the pragmatism of needing to work to contribute to his aunt and uncle\u2019s household. The Sunshine City Scholarship gave him an avenue to pursue a long held passion while also getting the College experience he\u2019d 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\u2019d never seen. He joined the men\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
Then, after three years of working in Eckerd College Admissions<\/a>, giving tours and managing ambassadors, Daeveon seized the chance to spend a semester in London<\/a> with Professor of Literature Jared Stark<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a kid, I didn\u2019t get to travel much. No family vacations, no school trips, nothing. It wasn\u2019t until junior year here at Eckerd that I had the opportunity to study abroad in London,\u201d he explained. \u201cMy time there can\u2019t 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.\u201d<\/p>\n