Grad Named Big Picture Alum of 2021

Congratulations to Gibson Ek graduate Evon Mahesh, named 2021 Alum of the Year by Big Picture Learning. 

Evon, a member of Gibson Ek High School’s first graduating class in 2019, makes the most of the skills he developed at Gibson Ek in his leadership at the University of Rochester, where he is a rising junior majoring in anthropology. 

His nominator was Simone St. Pierre-Nelson, a 2021 Gibson Ek grad who was mentored by Evon. “Evon is committed to a radical re-imagination of education in a way that prioritizes young people’s well being,” Simone wrote in the nomination. 

Evon serves on the leadership team at the student-led, national nonprofit Student Voice, which advocates for student-driven solutions to educational equity. He also is a fellow with Generation Two Rochester, an organization that pairs adult volunteers with young students to promote social-emotional health.

Evon is also the first alumni of Gibson Ek to serve as an internship mentor for a Gibson Ek student. He mentored Simone in the 2020-21 school year as she created an equity-focused podcast for Student Voice.

Big Picture Learning is a global network of schools – including Gibson Ek – that embraces a model emphasizing student-centered, project-based learning and real-world internships. Evon was honored with the award during the BPL annual conference in July 2021.