Damien

You may call him Damien, but some satisfied customers call him “Chef”.

Damien gained that title when he started a cooking business, and sold plates of food to classmates and teachers at his high school. While he is passionate about cooking for others, it also serves a greater purpose. It feeds his dream of becoming successful enough to move his family into a more safe and secure neighborhood.

Damien’s drive to succeed was propelled by experiences and circumstances lived in his neighborhood of the Bronx. Of one experience in particular, Damien wrote in his application, his “innocence was tainted at this moment, and my perspective was reshaped.” Leading him to push towards reaching what he describes as “that holy grail of success.”

Damien’s school counselor confirms his exemplary drive. “He is admired by many and is a prime example of what it means to be hardworking and determined,” she says. “He is an advocate for his peers, a leader who has been given the responsibility of being the co-captain of our school's track team. Damien is also in the top 10% of his class. His academic achievements have been exceptional since the beginning of his high school journey.”

Damien plans to major in both computer science and filmmaking. He wants his films to reflect the concept of Afro-surrealism and real world themes morphed with unrealistic concepts.

The teacher that made the greatest impact on me as a person was my 6th grade math teacher, Mrs. Irby. As my teacher, she has shown me the value of hard work and grit. She has shown that it’s far better to try and fail than to not try at all. Advice that I will forever utilize.