Fueled by an impressive balance of entrepreneurial spirit and a compassionate desire to spark positivity and change in her community, Adjo Evonlah, a senior at Northwest High School, combines her passion for social awareness and the arts through spoken poetry as the Forensics Speech and Debate Team captain at her school.
“I first learned about Forensics from mutual friends, and when I started, I really liked it!” Evonlah said. “I first joined the Forensics Team at Northwest performing a poem about being an angry black girl and how society views white privilege.” One of Evonlah’s favorite poems she’s written is called “When the Moon Shines,” which tells a story about teens in Ghana and how they sneak out in the middle of the night.
Alongside Forensics, she is interested in pursuing spoken poetry through other outlets. “My first poem took me to the Forensics semifinals before I lost, and I put it in another competition called ACT-SO. I won Gold Bears at Regionals and made it to Nationals. I was so proud of how I went through that journey, and it taught me a lot about speaking and being a leader.” ACT-SO is a part of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) and stands for the Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological, and Scientific Olympics. It helps create equal opportunities for students of color and African American youth by working towards closing the achievement gap.
While in ACT-SO, Evonlah has participated in a variety of different artistic categories besides spoken word. “In 10th grade I did Dance, Traditional Poetry, Essay. I got a silver medal for Poetry and Dance. Last year I did Oratory, Original Essay, and Poetry Written and got bronze in Original Essay and gold in Oratory. This year I’m doing Business, Poetry Written, and Traditional Dance,” she said.
Through exploring various artistic mediums, Evonlah has developed a passion for the arts. Spoken word, in particular, has given her the opportunity to connect with her community on a deeper level. “I like when I do a poem and I see the audience resonates with me,” Evonlah said. “For example, when the audience is snapping, I feel like my words are making an impact. I love when people join the Forensics club and say ‘I love this! This is for me.’ Some think Forensics is about competing and winning, but really it’s about finding your voice and using it!”
In finding her inspiration, Evonlah expressed a love for reading about meaningful and controversial worldwide issues that spark discussion. “I also draw inspiration from a lot of people, like my friends and the everyday person,” she said. “You don’t have to do something extraordinary to get my recognition. If you’re doing something right you’re doing something right!”
Her devotion to giving back to her community has led her to pursue a variety of business ventures. Currently, she serves as the CEO of a company called Pouchful. Pouchful’s mission is to provide environmentally friendly, practical, and sustainable lunch bags for students. “We wanted to find a solution for environmental waste,” Evonlah explained. “So, we started selling lunch bags to reduce paper consumption.”
As she chases her artistic and entrepreneurial pursuits, Evonlah has many future plans to make a mark in her community through art and public speaking. “I feel like you can do so much with public speaking,” she explained. “I may go into law, journalism, or business—who knows? Public speaking is a skill I will be using in my everyday life.”
Article by Alexis Cheng of Northwest High School
Graphic by Angelina Guhl of Richard Montgomery High School