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Everett Brubaker\u2019s journey has been marked by personal growth, community involvement, and a deep commitment to environmental sustainability. From his early days at Eastern Mennonite School (EMS) to his current role in driving social and environmental change, Everett\u2019s story is about the power of calling and the pursuit of passion.<\/p>\n
Finding a New Beginning at EMS<\/strong><\/p>\n Everett\u2019s journey with EMS began in 7th grade, following a move from Arizona to Harrisonburg in 2004. The transition was significant, he found himself in a new environment, surrounded by unfamiliar faces and a faith culture he had never encountered. His father\u2019s job at Eastern Mennonite University prompted the family\u2019s relocation, and Everett\u2019s family was in search of a nurturing educational environment for him and his brother.<\/p>\n Reflecting on his initial days, Everett shared, “I didn’t have any friendships going in, and wasn’t exactly sure what a Mennonite was. I was nervous, yet excited to start a new chapter.” It was a leap into the unknown, but one that would shape his future in profound ways.<\/p>\n Passions Ignited Through Music and Creativity<\/strong><\/p>\n EMS\u2019s \u201cBig Brother\u201d program provided immediate connections, helping to ease the transition. \u201cWalking into the chapel and seeing my big brothers waving to me was a relief,\u201d he recalled. One aspect of chapel, music, became a significant part of his life, as he learned to sing and read music\u2014skills that helped him understand himself better.<\/p>\n Everett also found joy in creative projects, such as making movies with friends. For a literature class project, Everett recounted filming a take on Robin Hood with friends. \u201cInstead of spending a few hours to write a paper for extra credit, we sunk well over 100 hours on making a film and cementing lifelong memories. Absolutely worth it.'” He also started a band in eighth grade with fellow classmates Logan, Phil, Ashton, all 2010 graduates, called Prevail. They even recorded and produced an EP and played EMS talent shows. These experiences embedded a love for storytelling and collaboration, skills he would carry with him into adulthood.<\/p>\n A Call to Environmental Stewardship<\/strong><\/p>\n One of the most transformative experiences for Everett at EMS was a trip with The Chesapeake Bay Foundation, which sparked a passion in him for environmental sustainability. Led by his future father-in-law, Mr. Blosser, the trip opened Everett\u2019s eyes to the interplay between humans and the environment.<\/p>\n \u201cThe power of experiential learning was immense,\u201d Everett explained. \u201cSeeing people work passionately, covered in mud, and understanding our interconnectedness within our ecosystem was a revelation.\u201d This journey ignited a lifelong commitment to environmental advocacy, emphasizing the importance of experiential learning and community engagement.<\/p>\n Bringing People Together for a Thriving Future <\/strong><\/p>\n In the wake of a heartbreaking setback losing a job he loved that was fulfilling and making a difference, he was able to find resilience and adaptability in the face of adversity.<\/p>\n Words of Wisdom for the Next Generation<\/strong><\/p>\n Reflecting now, Everett emphasizes the importance of belonging at that critical time when he joined EMS. \u201cWhen a child feels they belong, everything else\u2014academics, sports, engagement\u2014improve,\u201d he said. He credits EMS with providing a sense of belonging that has anchored his friendships and character development. He hopes that EMS will lean into an expansion of creating a sense of belonging for all students.<\/p>\n Everett\u2019s story is one of resilience, passion, and the transformative power of community. As he continues to lead initiatives for environmental and social equity, his journey serves as an inspiration for others to find their place, pursue their passions, and create meaningful change, no matter the circumstances.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Discovering Belonging and Passion: Honoring Everett Brubaker \u201810 Everett Brubaker\u2019s journey has been marked by personal growth, community involvement, and a deep commitment to environmental sustainability. From his early days at Eastern Mennonite School (EMS) to his current role in driving social and environmental change, Everett\u2019s story is about the power of calling and the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1090,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"issuem_issue":[42],"issuem_issue_categories":[],"issuem_issue_tags":[],"class_list":["post-1075","article","type-article","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","issuem_issue-fall-2025"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article\/1075","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/article"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1075"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article\/1075\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1093,"href":"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article\/1075\/revisions\/1093"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1090"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1075"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"issuem_issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/issuem_issue?post=1075"},{"taxonomy":"issuem_issue_categories","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/issuem_issue_categories?post=1075"},{"taxonomy":"issuem_issue_tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/issuem_issue_tags?post=1075"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/today\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Everett-speaking-at-the-Department-of-Energys-Justice-Week-2923-Equity-Empowered-October-2023-300x168.png\")
Today, Everett finds joy in bringing communities together. He has kick- started a community garden, worked to make homes in need more energy efficient, and on Earth Day this year organized a large gathering of local environmental leaders. His focus is on making connections that enable both people and the planet to thrive. After a recent job loss due to federal budget cuts, Everett\u2019s entrepreneurial spirit led him to propose a new role at the emerging local nonprofit Renew Rocktown<\/a>, where he now serves as Director of Development. His work involves scaling up the organization\u2019s efforts to build local capacity for sustainable change.<\/p>\n