Evan McNeil’s Full Circle Moment
When Evan McNeil was in third grade, his family moved homes in Waldorf, Maryland, causing Evan and his twin sister Erin to enroll in Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer Elementary. “When I started at Jenifer, it was not an easy transition for us,” McNeil recalls. “Fortunately, my teacher, Ms. Metz, went out of her way to make me feel like I was a part of the classroom community.” Today, Evan, now 23 years old, teaches third grade at Jenifer, the very school where he was once a student. Upon signing his contract with Charles County Public Schools last summer, McNeil attended an employee orientation and stood in line for assistance with his password. Suddenly he was face to face with Ms. Metz, who had transitioned from the classroom to a central office role. “I said, ‘I don’t know if you remember me, but I’m Evan. You were my third grade teacher.’ We hugged and talked and talked until lunchtime - it was amazing.” Evan had been feeling confident after working for several months as a substitute teacher that accepting a full time classroom position was the right move, but this unexpected reunion further confirmed that he was exactly where he needed to be.
McNeil’s route to this full circle moment was not without detours along the way. When he first arrived at college, he encountered a few bumps in the road. “This was my first time being away from home. While I enjoyed the freedom, the transition wasn’t the easiest.” Through this major shift, Evan leaned on the values that he knew best: family and education. He found solace in the support he received from his siblings, who were also Towson University students. With their support, he quickly made a change, committing to maintain the high standards he set for himself. Back on track, the question of where McNeil planned to make his mark remained. He’d begun college with the goal of becoming a lawyer, and through coursework and internship experiences, he realized that law wasn’t his passion. Anchoring in a sociology and anthropology major and international studies minor, he took a class that had a lasting impact. The course, called the Economics of Poverty and Discrimination, underscored the connection between poverty and numerous societal factors, including education. “It sparked a fire in me.”
Once Evan committed to pursuing a path to improve the quality of life for many in his community, a casual invitation from a basketball buddy on campus began to solidify what that path would be. Imran Farook, who currently serves as the organizer of We Will All Rise’s #Black&BrownMenTeach campaign, was a fellow undergraduate at the time who had personally benefited from both the direct cash assistance and mentorship provided by We Will All Rise. During the pandemic, Imran recruited Evan and other young men at Towson to voice record children’s stories to share with elementary school students. Evan eagerly participated, and later jumped at the opportunity to read to children in person. He happily visited a pre-kindergarten classroom in Baltimore, and something clicked into place. “I loved it so much. It just fit my personality.I loved the energy that the kids gave. They were so attentive, and you could see their different personalities at such a young age. I even invited my friends from the Student Government Association to join me!” After that visit, McNeil became more deeply involved with the Black Men Teach initiative. “We Will All Rise was such an integral part of my journey, and I thank God for it,” he reflects, crediting the organization’s programming alongside the mentorship he received from President and CEO Ricardo Neal as pivotal to his success.
While We Will All Rise played a key role in Evan’s career decision, his values and teaching style took roots in his own childhood home. His father Edward had a career in military service, and his mother Sharon, a lifelong educator, currently serves as an elementary school principal. Growing up with these two parents, Evan jokes, was a guaranteed recipe for a disciplined dedication to learning. Even in the summertime when school was out, the McNeil household held high scholastic expectations. “Before you turned on any TV, you had to work on two of your math packets and a reading packet,” Evan remembers, referencing the academic assignments that his mom personally made for him and his siblings. He cites his father and older brother as guiding forces throughout his life, and hopes that he can serve as a similar role model to his third graders. “I think about the impact I’m making in the classroom and it keeps me going. There might be a rough day here and there, but I’m still making a difference just by being present and showing that I care.” McNeil leads his students in a daily call and response that builds confidence and strengthens their connections to one another: “I am smart. You are smart. We are smart!”
National research affirms the difference that even one teacher of color can have on a young person’s life outcomes, and McNeil sees this firsthand at his school, which is led by a Black male principal. “It can be a shock for students to have a male educator in particular, especially a Black male. Our tone is different, the way we lead is different, and I personally think we affect students differently.” He believes that a stigma associated with the teaching profession plays a role in why the teaching workforce doesn’t include greater numbers of Black and Brown men. “We have to think about how we view education as a nation. Our perception of the importance of teaching is reflected in the pay. Depending on where you are geographically located, teaching might not be seen as a way to financially sustain a family.” Despite the all too frequent under-appreciation for this life-changing profession, he is eager to encourage young men of color to consider elementary education, the way that his college friend did for him. Evan may have come full circle, but his journey is only just beginning.
