Twenty-two years have passed since Chevelle Dixon S01 first set foot on The Island School campus, but in 2020, in the midst of a global pandemic, Chevelle mentally transported herself back to her querencia on Eleuthera. It was there that she was able to remember the strength and peace she felt at 16 years old to help her through the toughest days of quarantine. 

Hailing from Brooklyn, Chevelle’s Island School Semester was full of firsts for her, as it is for so many of our students. She learned to SCUBA dive, ran more miles than she ever had before, and she swam with confidence in the open ocean for the first time. She worked with the Coastal Preservation team, helping to establish the reef balls and mangroves that are still an integral part of campus today. She enjoyed participating in early community engagement initiatives and working with a local student from the Deep Creek Primary School. In fact, she recalls her student winning first place in the book competition titled ” Larry the Lobster,” inspiring her to focus on youth education in her spare time. All of these things and more helped to shape Chevelle and her future endeavors. 

Today, Chevelle is an entrepreneur, operating her own consulting business, Pan African Solutions Consulting. Working primarily with nonprofits focused on the Black Diaspora, she supports efforts in community development, fundraising, events, and project management. Her start in the development field began during her time as an undergraduate student at Harvard, working at the Harvard Radcliffe Institute. She quickly became a Director for the Institute while earning her degree in African Studies and Economics. She then went on to pursue her Master’s in Urban Planning at New York University. In 2010, she headed to Cape Town, South Africa to complete her last class for her master’s degree. While there she was offered an internship with the World Cup working in their international broadcasting department. This led her on a path to work in several African countries in the following years. 

Following her internship with the World Cup, she completed a fellowship with the American Chamber of Commerce in Zambia where she worked with four different Ministries in Zambia, supporting global and economic development initiatives. In 2013, Chevelle returned home to the States and knew it was time to start her own business, pursuing the work that she was already doing on her own terms. Over the last 10 years, she has worked with clients around the world, supporting their fundraising efforts, telling their stories, and ensuring that they are set up to thrive. 

Chevelle’s passion and energy are evident in all she does. She credits The Island School on her professional journey and the success she’s found in it, “What I learned at The Island School has been enduring me and surviving me.” We’re so proud of Chevelle and how the Island School ethos shines through all that she does. We invite you to join Chevelle in making a gift to the Annual Fund, which enhances student scholarships, faculty, and staff opportunities, and the resources needed to support all Island School programs each and every year, before our fiscal year ends on June 30th.