Darryal is now 50 years old and currently lives in Boise, Idaho though he is originally from Brunswick, Georgia. He is married to his beautiful wife, Annette and they have two grown children, Mari and Darryal Jr. Darryal works at the Facility Management Services at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Boise.
Darryal, an army veteran, joined Veterans Upward Bound when it first opened in January 2009. He has completed many of the academic refresher classes offered including Math, Reading, Writing, and Basic Computers. Finally, he was ready to take on the Admissions process at the College of Western Idaho and was admitted for the Spring 2012 semester. He is still undecided about whether to pursue an associate’s degree or a bachelor’s degree. For now, he is “taking one step at a time; one class at a time.”
After joining Veterans Upward Bound, Darryal set himself an education goal of obtaining a post-secondary degree which will help him with his career plans. Darryal wants to work for a homeless shelter. “Since I was young, I have wanted to help others have a fresh start.” He is very positive about VUB and talks about his pre-college education experiences with his friends, family, and coworkers. “I had a co-worker come up to me and say “You’re my hero” because by hearing my story, he was encouraged to go to school too.” His daughter, Mari, is now in the process of returning to school to earn a master’s degree and his son Darryal Jr. is signed up for classes at the College of Western Idaho like his father. “We have had some issues with admissions because we have the same name. But it’s worth it. We’re both in school.”
“VUB filled a void. I was given hope and resolved to keep going toward a degree. I have always looked forward to coming to my VUB classes because the staff has helped and encouraged me. They have all been very supportive. Since I have joined, I have matured, become more confident in the direction I am going, and have overcame obstacles at work that I could not before. It’s been an incredible experience.”