BUILD 12^th grade student Evandro Monteiro was having a rough week.  His laptop stopped working, so he was staying up late into the night to complete a scholarship application using just his cell phone and a tablet. The laptop failed him during a particularly busy week, so his email piled up, unread. On the weekend, he finally started to catch up. Scanning his inbox, one message caught his attention: “Congratulations!  You have been admitted to Clark University.”

Evandro’s delight grew into amazement as he continued reading: Clark had awarded him $80,000 in scholarships over his four years of study.  Jumping and cheering in excitement, Evandro immediately shared the good news with his family, his BUILD mentor, Herb Entwistle, and the staff at BUILD.

“I felt so happy,” Evandro said. “Especially because Herb had told me what a great a school it is.”

Evandro will be the first in his family to ever attend college.  At BUILD, we naturally celebrated with him, since helping first generation students go to college is part of our mission.

Evandro usually wakes up at around 5:00 A.M. to take public transportation from his home in Dorchester to get to Charlestown High School on time, a commute that can sometimes take up to two hours each way.  After school, he also works as a math tutor helping younger students with their homework. Between homework, work, BUILD, and other school commitments, he squeezes in only about five hours of sleep each night. Despite this grueling routine, he has won the Perfect Attendance Award and a spot on the Headmaster’s List every year in high school, while taking some of the most challenging courses offered at his school.  For his outstanding potential, Evandro was chosen to be a Harvard Crimson Scholar, one of a select group of students who take intensive college preparatory courses each summer.

At BUILD, Evandro is the Chief Executive Officer of Econizer, a business that produces eco-friendly office products made from recycled materials.  His team has worked together for four years, garnering multiple showcase wins and awards.  As one of the most profitable businesses in the history of BUILD, Econizer is an inspiration to our younger student entrepreneurs.

Evandro continues to await responses from other colleges, but says that the acceptance with a scholarship from Clark University is a huge encouragement.

“If I can get into this school,” he says, “I can do anything I put my mind to do!”