Note from the Executive Director
To our incredible community,
As I reflect on the first six months of 2026, I’m going to be completely candid. I saw a quote on Threads the other day that spoke to my complete soul. It said, “A lot of women are tired in ways that sleep can’t fix,” and let me tell you… YES! The exhaustion has been real, but the fire within me that started this nonprofit continues to burn, and as a result, EverGreen Dreams continues to charge forward.
As Malcolm X said, “The most disrespected person in America is the Black woman. The most unprotected person in America is the Black woman. The most neglected person in America is the Black woman.” Those words were spoken decades ago. This year, they feel like a daily headline.
Take the most recent example: on Sunday, June 14th, a UFC fighter stood on the White House lawn and declared former First Lady Michelle Obama “a man” to a national audience. No one said a word.
Couple that with the data that show that:
the employment rate for Black women dropped to 55.7% in 2025 — one of the sharpest single-year declines in 25 years, according to the Economic Policy Institute.
Black women ended 2025 with 113,000 fewer jobs than they started with, losing federal employment at more than twice the rate of all women, according to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research.
Black women are killed by men at twice the rate of their white counterparts — with more than four in ten experiencing physical violence from an intimate partner in their lifetimes, according to a 2025 Violence Policy Center study.
This is the world our scholars are walking into. And this is exactly why EverGreen Dreams will not slow down.
This year, we are proud to welcome our 11th and 12th Building Opportunities for Sistas to Shine (B.O.S.S.) Scholarship recipients. Two more young Black women stepping boldly into their futures and into our B.O.S.S. community.
We are also in the early stages of exploring a scholarship to help support students who need funds for graduate school prep courses, because lack of access to a prep course should never be the impediment standing between a scholar and the next chapter of her dreams.
None of what we have done, or what we will do, happens without the support of this amazing EverGreen Dreams community. Thank you to our board for stepping up with ownership and accountability on EverGreen Dreams action items this year, in ways that continue to move us forward. To our recurring donors, our March into Empowerment supporters, and to our largest donors, Dr. David Green Jr. and Evelyn Green — thank you for being the foundation beneath this work.
This community keeps showing up, and I will forever be humbled by it. We are halfway through 2026. But miles to go before I rest.
With heartfelt gratitude,
Mel Green
Founder & Executive Director
2026 B.O.S.S. SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS
ALIRAT OLADEJO
INCOMING FRESHMAN – UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS
MAJORING IN STATISTICS AND DATA SCIENCE
What are your plans for the summer?
This summer, I am working as an intern with my school district, where I am gaining experience in how a school district operates. I also plan to spend time with family and friends, prepare for my transition to UT Austin, and enjoy some well-deserved downtime before starting college.
What are you most excited about as you prepare to start college this fall?
I am most excited to meet new people, explore opportunities at UT Austin, and grow both academically and personally. I look forward to joining organizations, developing my skills in data science, and stepping outside my comfort zone through new experiences.
How do you plan to use your degree to create change or make an impact?
I plan to use my degree in Statistics and Data Science to make a change in the education technology field as a data scientist. I want to be a part of teams that create tools for learners of all types.
How do you intend to use the B.O.S.S. Scholarship to support you as you begin your college journey?
I intend to use the B.O.S.S. Scholarship to help cover on-campus housing expenses during my first year of college. This support will reduce financial stress and allow me to focus on my academics, campus involvement, and personal growth as I begin my journey at UT Austin.
ZARA MUSA
INCOMING FRESHMAN – HOWARD UNIVERSITY
MAJORING IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS AND ECONOMICS (PRE-LAW TRACK)
What are your plans for the summer?
This summer I am working my first ever retail job! I am also trying to get back into some of the hobbies I lost as I got progressively busier over my high school career (the main one being reading). Finally, I am continuing to study and learn French.
What are you most excited about as you prepare to start college this fall?
I am super excited for the independence that college brings. I love to be challenged by new things and not having my family by me 24/7 will be a challenge. I am also really looking forward to being at Howard University itself. I have never been in a space where all the students reminded me of myself, yet everyone is so different, multitalented, and multifaceted.
How do you plan to use your degree to create change or make an impact?
I want to use my degree to make an impact on countries in the global south, specifically in West Africa. Both the transatlantic slave trade and colonization have created such a huge negative impact. There’s so much potential in Africa, so I would like to help it flourish. Also, I hope to serve as a role model to young black girls and boys. I hope to one day have my own nonprofit(s) and scholarship funds. Ultimately, I also hope to get a law degree, and with that knowledge, I would like to mentor young people living in the DC area as well.
How do you intend to use the B.O.S.S. Scholarship to support you as you begin your college journey?
I intend to use the B.O.S.S Scholarship to cover part of my tuition for my first semester of college. Having to worry less about my family’s financial situation in regard to higher education has truly been a blessing and a weight lifted off my shoulders. I am extremely grateful for EverGreen Dreams and their investment into students like me. Education is a tool, and with the help of this scholarship, I can focus fully on learning new things and refining my skills with the tool of knowledge. I can’t thank you enough!
CELEBRATING THE GRADUATION OF KAWAMA WILSON
Congratulations to 2022 B.O.S.S. Scholar Kawama Wilson on her graduation from North Carolina A&T State University! After what she described as a laborious final semester, Kawama says she is ready for her next endeavor — and we have no doubt she is more than prepared for it.
Kawama has always understood that the B.O.S.S. Scholarship was bigger than herself. In her own words, it was an investment not just in her, but in her greater community — and she has lived that out. Since receiving the scholarship, she has completed over 100 hours of community service through mentorship, public engagement, and collaborative outreach, pouring back into the communities that shaped her. That is exactly the kind of legacy EverGreen Dreams was built to cultivate.
We are so proud of you, Kawama. Go get everything that is waiting for you.
2026 MARCH INTO EMPOWERMENT – COVER THE GAPS
Every March, EverGreen Dreams kicks off our biggest fundraising push of the year, and 2026 was no different. From March 9–13, we hosted our annual March into Empowerment fundraiser. This year’s fundraiser was entitled “Choose Your Impact – Cover the Gaps.”
Here’s the truth nobody talks about: the majority of scholarships and financial aid cover tuition only. They don’t cover the cost of textbooks, transportation, dorm essentials, or the meal plan. Those indirect costs, the ones that aren’t talked about in the school brochure, must be covered by the student, and that can be a challenge when the student’s bank account is already stretched thin. But those indirect costs are exactly what our B.O.S.S. scholars need covered to thrive once they’re on campus.
That’s what “Cover the Gaps” was built for. EverGreen Dreams gave our supporters the chance to choose where their dollars landed — transportation, textbooks, meals, the everyday essentials that keep a student moving forward. Because when people can see exactly where their impact lands, they show up.
And you showed up! Thanks to your generosity, our community raised $986.11, which is nearly half of one full B.O.S.S. Scholarship. That’s not a small number. That’s real money going toward real gaps for real scholars.
To everyone who gave, shared, and chose their impact: THANK YOU! We are eternally grateful for the continued commitment of the EverGreen Dreams community! Your support enables EverGreen Dreams to cultivate endless opportunities for students year after year. You’re proof that this community doesn’t just talk about closing gaps — it activates to close them.
DONOR HIGHLIGHT
STEVE BERGER
What motivates you to donate? What shapes your giving?
My family is what motivates my giving. Being raised in a loving family environment, I grew up financially and emotionally stable. However, my parents were not as fortunate growing up in an impoverished town in Louisiana. Initially, it was simply fodder for our “back in my day…” jokes until the town of Lake Providence was actually named Poorest Town in America in 1994 in Time Magazine. At that time, the percentage of residents with a drug problem surpassed the percentage of residents who were employed. It was at this time that it became clear to me how far my parents had come and brought to light how financial giving could help mitigate some of these problems.
My family has always given back whenever possible. My father has been involved in strategic planning at North Shore Hospital and in 2015 became the President of the Board of Directors. His continued involvement has helped the hospital evolve and to assist as many people as possible. My older brother, who has passed, used to spend much of his time mentoring high school students in the Chicagoland area. In addition, my mother spent many years on the board of directors of the YWCA in my hometown.
Internalizing these occurrences has greatly influenced who I am today and how I hope to influence my son, so my motivation to give is guided by that North Star. My parents literally worked so hard that my family was shielded from the effects of the poverty they fled.
Why is the mission of EverGreen Dreams important to you?
The mission of EverGreen Dreams is very important to me. First and foremost. The importance of helping women of color pursue access to education is very personal to me, as illustrated by the example of my parents. My father pursued higher education at Southern University and eventually earned his MBA from Harvard University. This led to a career as an investment loan banker. My mother paused her education at Southern University to start a family, but was able to earn her undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois of Chicago and later an MBA from Northwestern University. She was head of communications for the Federal Reserve of Chicago for over 20 years. Education was never too far away because of continuous effort and focus. My involvement with EverGreen Dreams specifically stems from knowing Mel and Alysia Green. They are two of the finest people I have had the pleasure of befriending. They are so accomplished, yet such grounded and caring people; I am fortunate to call them friends.
How do you feel when you make a charitable gift?
I swell with pride when giving to EverGreen Dreams because I am committed to the ideals and goals of this charity. I also have complete faith in the founder, Mel Green, and truly can’t wait to see who is helped by their work and how the recipients use their access to the tools and support provided by EverGreen Dreams to effect change and continue to help make the world a better place.
