At a place such as the school — where boys are privileged with the accessibility of some of the best scholastic equipment in the world — the focus of a student is usually centered around grades and time with friends. For most students, the idea of not having access to school supplies is a foreign concept.

However, this norm is not the same everywhere. Junior Tex Davison, who has seen impoverished schools in Fiji, knew that he could use his surrounding community to help those students gain access to  essential school supplies.

“My family has an Airbnb in Fiji on a remote island; (the school) has an abundance of resources that can be used in the right way,” Davison said. “I thought that I may as well contact a few schools (there) that are pretty remote, (to see) if they were in desperate need of any resources.”

Davison immediately sought out Director of Inclusion, Diversity and Human Resources Dr. Lorre Allen, for her guidance and assistance with his idea: Allen loved it. And from that conversation, Bags and Books was officially created.

“From that moment, Tex started reaching out to the schools in Fiji, and it just blossomed to where we got books that were no longer needed,” Allen said.

With the addition of Allen to the team, along with Jennifer Scott, Administrative Assistant to the Director of Inclusion, Diversity and Human Resources, the idea of helping out these schools in need was no longer just a remote possibility, but something that could actually change the lives of many.

“Dr. Allen and Ms. Scott really helped me,” Davison said. “This year, we’re doing more schools in the same area, and the middle school community service board is doing an amazing job. They’re raising 2,000 books for this cause.”

Allen also spoke on Davison’s impact on his community and how the rest of the student body can follow in his footsteps.

“Tex has his own pair of shoes that he will walk in even after he leaves (the school),” Allen said. “Every student on this campus has their own ability to create ideas like this that could flourish and change the world.”

Davison wants this project to carry on after him and expand with new generations of St. Mark’s students. With recent Middle School book drives and multiple different countries needing supplies for school, Davison plans for his project to expand beyond Fiji and into different countries and continents.

“Thailand and Spain are going to be the next ones over the summer,” Davison said. “Thailand’s really close to my heart because I lived there for a while… Of course, every country is in need of something in some places — everywhere across the world.”

Both Davison and Allen believe that this project was made possible by the resources the unique St. Mark’s community has given to them.

“(The school) is a learning ground, and this is the place for ideas to flourish and become something surreal,” Allen said.