There’s Gotta Be a Pony:
Honorary Spotlight
Vickie Evans — The Lighthouse
Every leader needs a lighthouse. Someone who sees through the fog. Who speaks truth when the waves rise. Who reminds you not just of where you’re going — but who you are.
For me, that lighthouse is Vickie Evans.
Vickie is a retired Middle School Principal of the Year for the state of Texas, a GEAR UP director who has managed more grants than I can count, and a community matriarch who’s helped raise more than half the town of Lufkin — and for some reason, found it in her heart to raise me, too.
During the darkest season of my life — a new widow, navigating grief in the middle of a global pandemic — Vickie called.
She didn’t call to check in. She called with vision.
“I need you to create a series of video lessons for every classroom. Plug-and-play. Simple. Powerful. Ignite-style.”
At first, I resisted. That wasn’t who we were.
We are trainers — we train students, train staff to train students, and equip schools for in-person transformation. Not a content company. Not an online video company.
But Vickie saw something in us that I couldn’t yet see. She knew what schools needed. She knew what students needed.
And more than that… she believed in our methodology, even before we realized the impact it could have. So we pivoted. We created Ignite Spark — and it worked!
Because when Vickie Evans tells you the world needs what you have, you listen.
She continues to hold me — and all of us at Ignite — to a higher standard. She doesn’t let us play small. She doesn’t let us forget the “why!”
And she continues to mentor, inspire, and guide with that same gentle strength and unwavering belief she’s always had.
“Show them who you are.”
She reminds me often. And in doing so, she’s helped us show students who they can become.
Vickie is more than a mentor. She’s family. She’s legacy. And she is — without a doubt — the lighthouse that helps Ignite find its way!
Thank you Ms. Vickie!
#IgniteNation #StudentLeadership #Lighthouse #GEARUP #CourageInMotion #WiseLeader #ThereGottaBeAPony