Here’s Why Evangeline Was Shouted Out As A Sarasota Star Student

SARASOTA, FL — Star Students are found in classrooms, on concert and theater stages and at debate lecterns, and out in the community doing good things to make life better for all of us.

Here at Patch, we've launched an initiative to help recognize Star Students, and we’re working to tell the stories of these outstanding kids to their neighbors.

This submission comes from Lindsey Nickel, who nominated her daughter, Evangeline, a Sarasota 7th grader.

Star local student’s name

Evangeline, 7th grade

Star local student’s home state

Florida

How do you know the star local student?

Evangeline is my daughter.

Why do you believe the star local student should be recognized?

Evangeline truly exemplifies the Greek origin of her name. She is the bringer of good news. In addition to maintaining a 4.0 GPA her entire scholastic career, (weight 4.6 due to her gifted curriculum), in 6th grade, she was the recipient of the President's Award for Educational Excellence for her school. And next year she will have completed seven high-school classes (all for the Pre-ACE curriculum) with the completion of middle school in 2024.

She does this while balancing an intense theater schedule. She is currently in participating in three theater programs with two performing arts schools: the Sarasota School of Arts and Sciences theater program and Rise Above Performing Arts, where she is currently cast in two musicals and a competitive show choir that rehearse back-to-back from 3 to 10 p.m., Monday through Friday.

On the weekends, she volunteers with her youth group at Pine Shore Presbyterian Church, where she runs the Super Bowl of Caring Food Drive for All Faiths Food Bank and family community events, including the Trunk or Treat and Easter Egg Hunt. She is also a youth leader with the Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida, where she participates in New Beginnings and summer programming, and volunteers for the annual Diocesan Convention.

This summer, in addition to volunteering as a counselor at Vacation Bible School and Rise Above Elementary Theatre Summer Camps, Eve was nominated to be one of 48 7th-grade girls to attend Teck Trek, a STEM camp sponsored by the state of Florida that offers programs in coding, biochemistry, engineering and Evangeline's program of choice, neuroscience.

What's one thing you want everyone to know about the star local student?

When every other child, including my other children, have a list as long as I am tall of gifts they want for holidays and their birthday, Evangeline (Eve as I call her) just asks me not to spend money on her and instead, asks to have experiences (and) time with her. And that's exactly what we do. She has a life well lived, and time well spent.

Congratulations on your achievements, and all of our best wishes to you in the future, Evangeline!

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