Darren Cook Class of 2021
Interview by Aneara Burns. Photo courtesy of Satila Ali.
Friendship’s mission is to push students to attend college making sure that students have the resources and the teachers that instill collegiate values. I had the pleasure of speaking with Darren Cook about his time at Collegiate, as well as his college experience and career ambitions.
Aneara: What school do you attend and what’s your major?
Darren: I attend Delaware State and I'm a natural resources major focusing on wildlife management.
Aneara: What has your college experience been so far?
Darren: So far, it's been great. I feel like as a person I've really grown into my career path as a conservationist. The classes that I take, the people that I've met, they've all contributed to where I want to be post college. Although I do have three semesters left, I feel like up to this point, my college career has been fulfilling.
Aneara: Have you had any struggles that you've overcome?
Darren: Absolutely. In many cases, especially in the STEM field, you have to take very challenging courses. I remember my first time taking college calculus, it was very challenging. I remember failing my first exam, and going into midterms being very afraid of whether I was going to pass the course or fail it. But I knew where I came from, and I knew where I wanted to be. So, I worked with my professor, I went to tutoring and I ended up passing the class.
Aneara: Where do you see yourself in the next three years?
Darren: For me that's a spectrum. I am a student athlete. I had dreams of going to the next level and playing professional football. I am in the major that I am for a reason, because it's my passion. So, if it's not the NFL, then I want to work for the Department of Natural Resources, either in a private firm or the government. I also do wildlife photography, so if at some point I become a professional wildlife photographer, that could just be two sources of income and I'll be doing the thing that I love in both phases.
Aneara: Do you feel as though Friendship Collegiate prepared you enough for college?
Darren: I do believe that Friendship Collegiate prepared me for college. Now, there were some phases in which it did not, but if I could say one key piece that really did prepare me for college, were the AP professors.There was one professor. His name was Mr. Blood. I'm sure you all know him. I felt like he really was preparing us for college. Although he was strict on his teaching, he really portrayed what a college professor taught like. I feel like he prepared me for what my college professors now teach.
Aneara: What is one lesson that Collegiate has taught you for life after high school?
Darren: Do not procrastinate. My freshman year, I was a knucklehead. I was having fun. I didn't really pay attention to my classes and I wasn't taking care of my obligations. It really correlates to college because now I'm a grown man who needs to take care of his own stuff. No one's going to tell me to do my own stuff. The consequences are going to come. In high school, I felt the way that the administration pushed college life and how college should be your next step. I feel like that contributed to my overall focus in college.
Aneara: What advice would you give to the Class of 2024?
Darren: Use your resources. A lot of professors that have gone to nice institutions have majored in stuff that I would have liked to have majored in. Just talking to them and getting their perspective on the situation is something that I had struggled to do because I've also struggled with asking for help.
Alumni Editor Aneara Burns is a junior at Arizona State University and a 2020 graduate of Friendship Collegiate Academy.