Her accolades are not what define her; it is how she leads.
For Essence Davis, a 17-year-old senior at Eastside High School, her community is a top priority. Davis' unwavering commitment to serve others with empathy and confidence allows her to create opportunities for those around her, including organizing a prom dress closet to help low-income families and mentoring young girls. Her efforts have made her a trusted source of support at Eastside and in her greater community.
While balancing her role as student body president at Eastside and four years as captain of the school’s varsity volleyball team, she has maintained a 4.5 GPA while enrolled in the International Baccalaureate program. Davis has made leadership a part of her everyday life.
“My parents always taught me if I already have something, and I have an extra amount of it, try to give it out to somebody else that may need it or want it because not everybody is privileged or blessed enough to have that,” Davis said.
Her impact reaches further as she spearheads impactful community initiatives and serves as a role model for her peers. She previously led the University of Florida’s Upward Bound Math and Science Program as president and now works as the mentor director of Eastside’s Black Student Union.
In addition to accomplishing her own goals, Davis also seeks to uplift those around her through her leadership, charisma and discipline. She credits much of that mindset to her family and faith, which serve as her foundation.
Her father, Steven Davis, grew up in Gainesville and attended Buchholz High School, where he met his wife, Bree Davis.
“I know people say your children are not your friends, but to me, they’re my best friends,” Steven Davis said. “I’m straight when I have to be straight, and I’m a friend when I have to be a friend. I’m a shoulder when I have to be a shoulder. I’m a doctor when I have to be a doctor. You have to be more than just a parent. You have to be everything for a child for them to succeed.”
That support system helped fuel one of Essence Davis’ most impactful projects: the Prom Dress Closet.
Davis noticed some of her peers were unable to attend prom because they could not afford a dress. She realized that by sourcing donated dresses and offering them free of charge, she could remove a major financial burden associated with prom.
“We believe that everybody should be able to go to prom without worrying about a price or a dress,” Davis said.
Working with a team of four other students and Leslie Thomas, a behavioral resource teacher at Eastside, Davis organizes dress drives at the school starting in February. They collect donated gowns from community members and local organizations. In her first year, she collected 67 dresses through the initiative. Davis hopes to increase that number to 100 this year.
Throughout March and April, she transforms a space at Eastside into a prom dress closet with fitting rooms and mirrors, allowing students to try on dresses of all styles and sizes.
“This one girl in particular, she got a dress, and her mom gave us a huge email, saying how appreciative she was for us to do that for her,” Davis said.
After receiving positive feedback, her goal is to make the closet a tradition at Eastside. She hopes to expand it to include suits and accessories such as heels and jewelry.
With many Eastside students coming from low-income backgrounds, Principal Leroy Williams said approving Davis’ project was a “no-brainer.”
“When that happened, I was like, ‘You know what? That is a great idea.’ You know, the majority of our students who attend Eastside High School come from low socioeconomic backgrounds,” Williams said. “Everything she does, she analyze it … at dismissal, how, when students are leaving campus, when they’re getting on the bus, they can just come by like you’re at Butler Plaza or Celebration [Pointe] … she provided that same platform here, which was amazing, and I would have never thought about that.”
But the Prom dress drive is not the only thing she does. Davis also volunteers each summer at Girls Place, mentoring and empowering young girls to reach their full potential. Her commitment to service led to recognition from the state earlier this year.
She was the recipient of the Martin Luther King Jr. Commission of Florida’s 2026 Edna M. Hart Keeper of the Dream Scholarship, a $12,000 award for her college education that recognizes students who demonstrate excellence in academics and leadership while embodying King’s principles.
“I jumped up and down and around the house and yelled,” Davis said. “So yes, I was very excited about that.”
To apply, Davis had to compile a binder containing her academic achievements, extracurricular activities, and community and religious involvement. She also wrote an essay highlighting how she keeps King’s dream alive and why she aspires to be a Supreme Court justice, her dream career.
Williams said he immediately thought of Davis when he was asked to recommend candidates from Eastside.
“Since her freshman year, I’ve seen nothing but excellence, and she’s the epitome of that scholarship,” Williams said. “Matter of fact, I know it’s big shoes, but everything that Dr. King stood for, Essence Davis stands for as well.”
Brittany Wishin, a teacher and student government advisor at Eastside, has worked with Davis for only a year and described her as a “go-getter” who consistently exceeds expectations. She said Davis not only has the skills to complete the tasks required of her position as student body president, but also handles them with kindness and grace.
“She’s always checking in and is like, ‘What can I take off your plate to help with this event?’ And so she’s just like a person that will take on the task and do it in a way that 's effortless,” Wishin said. “She’s that big smile when you walk in the room, and she’s gonna make sure that everyone’s included.”
Her leadership extends to athletics as well. Davis has served as volleyball team captain since her freshman year, a position typically reserved for upperclassmen. She previously competed in softball and lacrosse and, in 2025, earned recognition as a Meldon Law Scholar-Athlete for her volleyball performance.
As Davis prepares for life after Eastside, her mission is still rooted in community and service. She hopes to attend law school and ultimately become a Supreme Court justice.
“That dream started when I was 8 years old,” Davis said. “I grew up, and I saw kids that didn’t get a second chance in life or any help in life, and I always felt that they should have got that help and that second chance in life.”
Williams and Wishin both believe her influence is only beginning. The two agree that Davis will be successful in anything she puts her mind to and that, naturally, her future will center on leadership.
“She’s a lighthouse; she’s going to connect others … and she’s going to draw others to her,” Williams said. “We feel honored here at Eastside, being able to plant that seed with her and just watching her grow to where she is now.”