Dashell N Laryea

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“I’ve learned that at the edge of my map it says, ‘The world is no longer flat, it’s round.’ If ever I fail, I can always start again and, if I succeed, I have friends always there to share not only the pain, but the joy. I will forever be indebted to the individuals at the Foundation because they picked me up, placed me on their shoulders, and inspired me.”

  • Program: 2009 College Scholarship Recipient
  • Resides: South Riding, VA
  • Hometown: Accra, Ghana
  • Age: 20

Biography

Highlights of Young Scholar Experience: With support from the Foundation, Dashell Laryea worked with lawyers in an advanced mentorship program and wrote a legal paper involving separation of church and state that was presented at a meeting at Yale University.   He also spent a month in Guatemala on a service project where he tutored disabled students, who fondly nick-named him “Big Bear.”

Profile: Dashell’s story is special. It’s about an immigrant single mother who was homeless and never gave up and instilled that spirit in her son. The Washington Post’s Marc Fisher wrote about Dashell’s incredible journey and the Young Scholars program in a 2006 column, one of the first stories ever published about the Foundation’s program for young teenagers. Dashell, who spent his early years in Ghana, calls himself a “cultural orphan,” neither African nor American. “I am a blend of two cultures, two languages, two experiences forged into one.”

Inspiration: “The greatest teacher and mentor in my life is my mother.” Dashell’s mom, Victoria Laryea, immigrated to the United States and faced several hardships but weathered them all to achieve her goal: An education for her children. “I’ve learned a lot of things from my mom: the importance of dreaming, hard work, and sacrifice.”

Aspiration:  Dashell wants to eventually attend law school and become an attorney. “Lawyers have the ability to change lives for better or for worse and I want my life to be used to change lives for the better.”

Making a Difference: Dashell volunteered full-time as a study skills teacher for the Emerging Scholars Program which works with inner-city youths. 

Accolades:  Dashell attended the prestigious Flint Hill School in Northern Virginia. He was inducted into the Quill and Scroll Society and the Spanish Society and was head of the school’s Honor Council and president of the Writing Center. He was also the tenor and percussionist of Flint Hill’s a capella group, the Major Minors. He was recognized by the National Achievement Scholarship Program, an academic competition providing recognition for African-Americans who score in the highest percentile on the PSAT. In addition he was a multi-year winner of the Presidential Volunteer Service Award.

Interesting fact: Although Dashell’s Anglo-Saxon name is Dashell Laryea, his tribal name in Ghana is Nil-Amoque. 

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