Denise Evans’ expansive influence on the youth of her community started through the privilege of raising her nephew, Lawrence, and her nieces Kareema and Kalisha. She often looks back at the warm moments they shared while creating art, and their trips to play in Commodore Barry Park during the autumn. They would collect all the fallen leaves and pile them together at the foot of the slide. And one by one they would slide into the leaves. Denise’s neighborhood friend, Saleem Ali, Chairperson and Community Connections of Fort Greene Farragut Old Timers Day, introduced her to the coordinators of Commodore Barry Park.

Since then, whether it’s a field day or a leaf collection event, Ms. Evanshas always found fun ways to get her students thinking creatively at the park as a Parent Coordinator at PS 287. Centered around art, her passions and work for the community have inspired a sense of creativity in others as she “can’t help but do art”. From coordinating painting for the parents to pumpkin decorating for the students, her contributions to her community have made her a vastly loved role model. Ms. Evans is a member of The Church Of The Open Door, which has helped strengthen her faith and has allowed her to become the woman she is today! She believes it’s an honor to serve her community because she sees immense potential in her students.

In the future, Ms. Evans aspires to take her students’ art skills to the next level by introducing a photography program. She believes that sharing her passion for photography with her students would be a wonderful opportunity to introduce them to something new. Giving children resources to explore different career paths will create the future game-changers, and Denise Evans aspires to be a catalyst of that change.