We wanted to share a little update on Dariyen as he prepares to graduate. Watching him grow into the young man he is today has been one of the greatest joys of our lives, and we couldn't let this moment pass without telling you how proud we are.
What follows is a small window into the path he has walked, the people he has served, and the chapter he is preparing to begin. Thank you for being here.
I want to be more adaptable, more comfortable working with others, and more consistent in how I approach challenges, focused less on having the perfect answer and more on making steady, meaningful progress.
A commitment to excellence.
He has always challenged himself academically.
Dariyen attends an IB school and made the decision to go full IB, taking on the most demanding path available to him while maintaining a 4.0 GPA throughout high school. He was inducted into the National Honor Society, and from his earliest years, he has had a quiet drive to keep learning and growing into something more.
One of our favorite moments came in his Design class. On the very first day, he told his teacher he was going to be the best student she ever had, and he followed through. He earned the Excellence Award in Design, and watching him set that goal and meet it told us everything about who he is.
He has superb written and verbal skills in English and Spanish, which are a pleasure for any teacher to encounter. He even helps his classmates who are struggling.
Leadership, from the ground up.
The organizations he helped shape and was shaped by.
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i.At-Large RepresentativeStudent Council2025 — 2026
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ii.Leadership TeamBlack Student Union2024 — 2026
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iii.PresidentCrochet Club2023 — 2026
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iv.PresidentGender Sexuality Alliance2023 — 2026
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v.PresidentThe Chicken Tenders2024 — 2026
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vi.Founder & PresidentGolf Club2025 — 2026
His ability to lead with empathy, responsibility, and confidence made a lasting impact on his peers and contributed to a stronger, more collaborative environment.
Showing up for others, consistently.
Long before he was a counselor or intern, he was the oldest of five — helping raise his four younger siblings. That experience shaped how he shows up for kids today: with patience, presence, and the kind of steady leadership that can't be taught.
Two languages, one voice.
Spanish became more than a class for Dariyen. Through Meridian's International Baccalaureate program, he developed a real love for the language and the way it lets him connect with people beyond his own corner of the world.
His hard work and effort will get him very far in life, and there is no doubt in my mind that he will succeed. He will greatly contribute to any community he is a part of.
How he sees himself.
A few thoughts in his own words, drawn from his scholarship essays.
Discipline, for me, has come to mean consistency rather than intensity. It is the ability to follow through on responsibilities even when motivation fluctuates.
I have been pushing myself to embrace new risks and opportunities, even when I am not completely sure of the outcome. Growth often depends on being willing to participate before feeling fully ready.
What stands out most to me about my father is not a single moment of sacrifice, but the accumulation of them over time. His sacrifices shaped the standards I hold myself to and the way I define perseverance on my own.
I am interested in learning how to work with data to support decisions and make complex situations easier to understand, while still keeping sight of the people behind the numbers.
The next chapter begins.
Dariyen was accepted into twelve universities across the United States, an accomplishment that still makes us pause every time we think about it. Through his coursework, especially in Sociology and Statistics, he discovered a real love for working with data and understanding patterns.
What we love most about the path he has chosen is that it suits who he already is. He believes the most lasting change happens when the people doing the work understand both the human story and the numbers behind it — and he wants to use what he learns to build environments where more people feel seen, supported, and included.
He has chosen the university he will be attending this fall, but is keeping that quiet for now as he steps into this next season of adulthood and privacy. Thanks to the credits he earned through his IB coursework, he will begin as a sophomore on a full academic scholarship.
He is also preparing to move into his first apartment near campus — and while we will miss him more than we can say, we could not be prouder of the independence and purpose he is stepping into.
Ways to send your love.
Your words and support mean more than you know.
Your presence alone is the greatest gift. These are simply options for those who have asked how they might celebrate with him.