Eva Carrasquillo-Wilkinson was only about two hours into her very first day of a summer internship with St. Louis BWorks when she found herself surrounded by Earn-A-Bike students meeting their individually chosen, newly refurbished bikes for the very first time. That first day of her 2026 Pershing Fellowship also involved finding herself on a bike for the first time in a long while, as she jumped into riding-practice drills right alongside the kids as part of her BWorks orientation.

“At this point, I probably knew less about bikes than the students,” Eva recalls of those first few hours, which threw her directly into Day 4 of a weekslong Earn-A-Bike series at Little Creek Nature Area in north St. Louis County, working with a group of students in the Ferguson-Florissant School District.

“After seeing how ecstatic the kids were about finally being able to test out the new bikes that would officially be theirs soon, I knew I was in for a very rewarding summer.”

Partway through an Earn-A-Bike graduation at Chain of Rocks Bridge on June 25, Eva (at left) and BWorks students take time to check out the amazing views of the Mississippi River and St. Louis along the bike and pedestrian bridge.

Eva, a rising senior in psychology and children’s studies at Wash U, is BWorks’ fourth Pershing Fellow in four years, part of a cohort of St. Louis-area college students selected each summer from Harris-Stowe, SLU, UMSL and Wash U for a paid internship in partnership with a local nonprofit organization. Each fellow is tasked with contributing significantly to identified needs within the organization, while also gaining an understanding of nonprofit leadership, connecting with and serving others, and developing a deeper appreciation of St. Louis.

The fellows also have a real stake in selecting which organization they are paired with, and for Eva, BWorks stood out for several reasons.

“When I received a catalog of 30-plus St. Louis nonprofit organizations to consider working for this summer, I was studying abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark, where nearly 50% of people bike to school and work every day,” Eva says.

She was falling in love with that city’s commitment to sustainable, active transportation at the same time that she was considering what was next.

“I came across BWorks’ programs and their mission,” Eva explains, “and I was excited by the important work they were doing to encourage kids to ride while also inspiring confidence, teamwork, and problem-solving through experiential learning.”

Working with kids has always come naturally to Eva, whose studies and career ambitions reflect those talents. Serving as an assistant Earn-A-Bike, Learn-To-Ride and Earn-A-Computer teacher for BWorks has proved an excellent fit — Eva brings great experience in previous roles providing behavioral support to children with autism and serving as a practicum student in an international elementary school.

But just like she found on her first day with BWorks nearly two months ago, there’s still lots to learn.

“Before working at BWorks, I had never thought about bikes beyond just riding one in my neighborhood, and I’m probably as far as you can get from a mechanic,” Eva admits. “Learning the parts of a bike, how to make different repairs, and bike safety, while also trying to help kids learn those same skills, has pushed me outside of my comfort zone. It has required me to ask questions, be honest with myself about what I do and don’t know, and become comfortable learning alongside the students.”

That’s a common experience for many members of the BWorks village, and Eva’s contributions both in a wide variety of youth classes this summer and on other organizational fronts have her interacting with all sorts of them. In addition to BWorks staff, volunteers, students and parents, Eva is connecting with a variety of community partners as her summer duties bring her from place to place around the St. Louis region.

“Before starting my internship, I had no idea the extent to which BWorks intentionally brought its programs into different communities instead of only hosting classes on-site,” she says. “Seeing BWorks adapt its programming to meet the needs and schedules of different schools and organizations has shown me how important community partnerships are for increasing access and creating an even greater impact. Additionally, it has helped me appreciate how much behind-the-scenes relationship building goes into running a successful nonprofit.”

But Eva hasn’t been content to merely observe these things; she’s jumped in to help the organizational team continue imagining and thoughtfully strategizing toward what’s ahead, particularly as work continues on BWorks soon-to-be new home at Grand and Flora in St. Louis’ vibrant Shaw neighborhood.

Projects have ranged from mapping the location of every class so far in 2026 and drafting a survey for parents and caregivers to gauge the long-term impact of BWorks programs on their children to conducting interviews and updating school and caregiver communication pieces.

There’s no contest, though, when it comes to deciding on her favorite part of the internship. It’s the youth.

Eva pauses for a celebratory graduation photo with July 2026 Learn-To-Ride graduates on a recent Saturday afternoon. She spent four Saturday afternoons this summer working with fellow BWorks teacher Chad and this group of brand-new riders, who each made huge strides on two wheels.

“In my view, the magic of BWorks comes from the pure joy, confidence, and learning that kids show during our classes,” Eva says. “There’s something really special about that moment when you finally believe you can do something.”

One such moment came a couple weeks ago when Eva got to witness one of her BWorks students independently pedal on two wheels for the very first time in his life. Part of a summer camp with Firm Foundation Tutoring in U. City, this particular BWorks Earn-A-Bike cohort included 11 kids who already knew how to ride a bike and, as it turned out when the bikes arrived several weeks into the course, one who did not.

Flexing to meet the needs of the moment as every BWorks teaching team is adept at doing, Eva and her fellow BWorks teacher didn’t bat an eye, and neither did the student still learning to ride. As Eva coached him alongside the students already riding, she saw him develop and deploy the kind of determination and resilience that makes BWorks’ mission even clearer to Eva. She’ll never forget the moment he exclaimed, up on two wheels, “I can do it! I can do it! I’m riding a bike!”

“Seeing that moment was truly heartwarming,” Eva says, “Even afterwards, when he followed with, ‘I’m not riding a bike!’ and fell, he immediately got back up and reassured me, ‘I’m OK, I’m OK!”

After graduating from Wash U, Eva hopes to obtain a graduate degree in school psychology. She’s been passionate about the intersection of psychology and education for a long time.

“I think my summer at BWorks has complemented these interests well,” she says. “Working with students in the BWorks programs has reinforced for me that learning is influenced by confidence, relationships and opportunities outside of the formal classroom. Whether a child is learning how to ride a bike, repair one, or code, I see how much encouragement, patience and hands-on problem-solving help them build skills while also developing self-confidence and perseverance. Those are the same kinds of environments I hope to foster during my career as a school psychologist.”

The Pershing Fellow experience has broadened Eva’s understanding of how community organizations can play a critical role in providing experiences, mentorship and resources beyond what schools alone can do.

“This experience has inspired me to stay involved with nonprofits throughout my career as someone who can help connect schools with community resources so that students have access to the support they need to thrive,” Eva says.

The BWorks team is fortunate to have been paired with Eva this summer, and will certainly be cheering her on as she looks toward her next chapter!