Evana Upshaw is a sophomore journalism major with a passion for empathy and truth. She has a unique fascination with maps, adores fruit smoothies and loves to dance bachata.



I dislike being asked, “Where’s home?” Being born in Chicago, raised in Minneapolis and moving to the Bay Area at 18 made for a childhood that taught me to love and be loved by many people. My home has been where my heart was, and my heart is truly everywhere. I spent my gap year in Boston with Youth With a Mission, and that spread my heart even further around the world.

Being biracial has taught me to love culture and language, being Black in America has bred an intense passion for intersectional justice, and being a pastor’s kid has shaped my faith into something deeply personal. In the future, I hope to intersect each of these through writing about theology and restorative justice, in order to advocate for the oppressed, as citizens of God’s Kingdom are called to do.

I love watching documentaries, learning languages, participating in corporate worship, having dance parties and stuffing my face with key lime pie.