“Radiant” is the word many would use to describe Evan Dickey ’26. Dickey is an exceptional example of scholarship, leadership and brotherly love. He has conducted research with Professor of Biology Amanda Ingram, is a member of the Sphinx Club and is on his way to dental school. He led the Newman Center through its most significant period of academic and spiritual growth and has mentored others through extensive tutoring at the Quantitative Skills Center (QSC). His commitment to education extends into the community, where he teaches students at St. Bernard Catholic Church’s parochial school and serves as a dedicated volunteer for College Mentors for Kids.
Although he was a wrestling recruit, what brought Dickey to Wabash was the brotherly aspect of the college, especially the sense of care everyone displayed for each other.
“I just liked the culture,” said Dickey. “It seemed like everybody knew everybody, like it’s its own small town. Everybody said hello to everybody.”
That same allure brought Dickey to Phi Gamma Delta, where he has been a brother throughout his four years at Wabash. His involvement there has focused heavily on stewardship of the younger classes. He has served the house as both a new member educator and academic chair.
A similar attraction brought him to the Sphinx Club, where he completed Rhynieship during his sophomore year — all while undergoing a demanding triple-lab semester.
“Evan has become someone I consistently turn to for guidance and support. He listens before he speaks, acts without expecting credit and carries himself with a quiet sense of grace that puts others at ease,” said Tanner Quackenbush ’26. “His leadership is not loud or self-promotional; it is steady, dependable and rooted in a genuine care for the people around him. Our community is stronger because of him, and I am personally better for having known him.”
Regarding his scholastic efforts, Dickey majors in biology and art with a minor in chemistry. He was recently accepted into the Indiana University School of Dentistry on the Indianapolis campus. His goal is to one day be self-employed with a private practice spanning multiple locations.
Dickey’s research bridged his interests in art and biology. With little prior experience in watercolor, he produced eight botanical illustrations of structurally amorphous plant species in Indiana. Ingram hopes to one day publish a professional manuscript using Dickey’s illustrations.
“Mentoring Evan during his summer internship in botanical illustration was a blast and a totally new experience for me,” said Ingram. “While I’ve studied many botanical illustrations in my day, I know next to nothing about how to create such pieces. Evan is a fantastic and largely self-taught artist, though, so I knew we could figure things out together with a little guidance from a professor.”
On the art front, Dickey has shown how to transform a passion and share it with others. Dickey’s art will be on display in Hays Hall for the senior art gala on April 26. The gala will feature his figurative paintings in a Michelangelo style.
Dickey’s greatest role on campus, and his personal favorite, is passing down the gifts he received through leadership. Dickey served as vice president and later president of the Newman Center. Over the course of his involvement, the club has nearly tripled in size.
“My favorite thing on campus is the Newman Center,” said Dickey. “Through the Newman Center I’ve been to two conference trips and also Rome. So I guess all my experiences with the Newman Center have been very special to me. Those have been my most formative experiences.”
In that capacity, he has also taught Catholic catechesis to children from the second grade to middle school for several years. Teaching and stewardship are major themes in his service to both Wabash and the local community, where he has been a biology tutor and a volunteer for College Mentors for Kids. His servant leadership is a model for his peers.
“I’ve met people who will be at my wedding,” said Dickey. “Some of my best friends will be so for a long time.”
Ultimately, Dickey’s effective leadership will be missed on campus, but there is no doubt he will leave Wabash in pursuit of achieving even greater things.