An Interesting Neighbor

Go ahead. Ask Evan Boothe a question. Any question.

Short odds are the 2021 Washington High School graduate knows the answer.

Evan is that smart. If proof is needed, one need look no further than his SAT score – 1560  out of a possible 1600.

Or his selection by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence as one of the state’s top 100 high school graduates as an Academic All-State scholar.

If further proof is needed, consider where he’s heading later this month. Cambridge, Mass., and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Evan applied to “15 or 16” universities and got acceptance offers from seven, including one Ivy League institution.

It didn’t take him long, however, to settle on MIT where he will major in aerospace engineering.

Evan explained the Academic All-State selection process looks at three areas – academics, extra-curricular activities and community service.

Academic prowess was a given for Evan, who described his extra-curricular activities at Washington.

A talented musician, Evan played percussion and bass in the concert, marching and jazz bands at Washington

He was also in Science Club and with three like-minded friends re-started the school’s academic team as sophomores.

The four competed on the team three years, advancing to area competition during their junior and senior years.

In addition, Evan performed with the Oklahoma Youth Orchestra and Summer Arts Institute Orchestra.

He has composed jazz combo music and competed in the Oklahoma Music Teachers Association’s Composition Festival, taking home a first and a second.

Other activities enjoyed by the 18-year-old are scuba diving, writing cosmic horror and studying politics.

It was politics that allowed Evan to check off the community service requirement.

His uncle, Eddie Fields, is a former representative and senator in the Oklahoma Legislature. He ran for lieutenant governor in 2018 and Evan helped with the campaign, attending parades and distributing flyers.

He also volunteered at Purcell Public Library in the summers of 2018 and 2019. There he assisted with the summer programs for children, along with tasks like returning books to the shelves.

He also participated in the Kerbal Space Program, a space flight simulation video game, designing air and space craft.

Evan hasn’t yet met his advisor at MIT and isn’t sure how many hours and what courses  will comprise his freshman year.

He has a scholarship through the foundation sponsored by Molly and David Boren, but said MIT doesn’t offer scholarships.

Instead, he will receive some need-based financial aid from the university.

He expects to complete his bachelor’s degree in four years and then continue with graduate school.

He hasn’t decided whether he will stop with a master’s degree or go on to earn a doctorate.

He will be the first engineer in his immediate family, although an uncle is a mechanical engineer who worked for Boeing and a cousin is a civil engineer.

“I’ve always been fascinated by airplanes,” he said.

And though he hasn’t taken flying lessons, it would be “cool” to be a pilot.

High school wasn’t particularly challenging for Evan, who knows MIT will raise the bar considerably.

He is anxious to meet that challenge and pursue his dream.

After all, it’s been central in his  thoughts for a few years now.