Evan L.
If you're reading this, your resume does not define you.
My identical twin brother, Trevor, took his own life on November 3, 2023, following a brief yet intense battle with anxiety and depression.
Since we were young kids, Trevor always dreamed of being a firefighter. This dream led him to become an Explorer with the Santa Clara County Fire Department in high school, receive his EMT license and spend time working on an ambulance for Brown EMS, and eventually volunteer as an EMT with the Falls Church Fire Department in Virginia after graduating college.
But he faced criticism often for his dream. He was told by some that he was too smart to be “just a firefighter.” He was told a degree from Brown University should be used to do more. He was told that pursuing his passion and his dream would be a waste of his abilities.
He struggled with this belief himself, choosing to become an Associate at Capital One his first year out of college instead of focusing on becoming a full-time firefighter. And when the stresses of this job became too much for him, he again felt like he would be a failure if he left to pursue his dream, like he was somehow settling for something less compared to those around him.
If you’re reading this, you should never feel embarrassed or lesser because you choose to pursue what you are passionate about. You are so much more than what can be written down on a piece of paper. When people think about you, they don’t think about your GPA or your job title; they think about the memories you’ve made together and how you make them feel.
When I think of my brother, I think of his smile.
Evan L.
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