Scholarship Recipient Marlon Evans (Class of 2019) Speaks From the Heart

At the University of Virginia Darden School of Business’ Scholarship Dinner earlier this fall, Second Year Marlon Evans reflected on how the Charles J. Lewis Scholarship empowers him to pursue his passion and help those less fortunate. To an assembly of Darden School faculty, staff, alumni leadership and generous scholarship donors, the UVA undergraduate alumnus and former Gallup pricing analyst shared how a scholarship has empowered him to pursue his purpose and improve the world:

“My experience at Darden so far has provided an opportunity to make my dreams a reality. The things I’ve learned, the people whom I’ve met, the professors who have helped me along the way have really made me think that it’s all possible. I’m a member of the board of the Black Business Student Association here. I’m helping to mentor current and future students, and also working with the administration to make Darden a more inclusive place. Darden’s a great place now, but we can make it better.

Through the Darden Prison Reentry Program, I’m getting to teach entrepreneurship to prisoners at the Dillwyn Correctional Center. My students are really bright, and it’s encouraging to be at a school that is committed to doing things that are so impactful in the community. I’ve also been working with a classmate on his agriculture venture in Guinea. We’ll be working with smallholder farmers in Guinea to give them the opportunity to earn an income while producing dried fruit and cashews. After graduating, I’m going to move to Seattle to start my career in the technology industry. I plan to take the skills that I’ve learned here at Darden and identify ways that I can help instill equality and opportunities for people, both in the United States and abroad.

The benevolence of the donors in this room has given my classmates and me the opportunity to think big without the fear of failure. Your generosity has given us the freedom to pursue what we’re passionate about, not necessarily what’s the most lucrative. For that, I can speak for all my classmates and the recipients of scholarships in this room in saying that we are eternally grateful. Last year, I made a promise to Lem Lewis, whom I’ve had the privilege of meeting tonight, that I would make the most of my Darden experience. And so far, I think I’ve done that. Today I’m going to make another promise. One day I’ll be sitting in a seat, like many of you, giving back and giving future generations of Darden students the opportunities that you have bestowed upon me.”