, August 20, 2008

Darrin Thurber, senior music performance major, is one of five outstanding students who have received the Nashed Family Scholarship, established by Yacoub and Ellen Nashed in 1995 for students with academic achievement. “I never expected something like this,” Darrin says of the scholarship. “It really makes you feel special. Receiving a scholarship, especially one you didn’t know you were going to receive, lets you know the community cares. I feel very supported and honored.”

Darrin fell in love with the PUC campus when he was a student in high school at PUC Preparatory School. It wasn’t just the area that kept him here though. “I had friends here and I began to learn of and meet a lot of the teachers [at PUC]. I was also looking forward to being part of the music department and the varsity basketball team,” says Darrin. When he finally did enroll at the college, he did become a part of the music department and the basketball team. He even took a year off to be a student missionary on the island of Pohnepi, Micronesia, fulfilling yet another dream. While there, he taught religion, science, math and PE to middle school and high school students.

At PUC Darrin has found support in individual faculty as well as entire departments. “I’ve had wonderful experiences with the music faculty. They treat me well and support me,” says Darrin. As a loyal Grainger resident and residence assistant, two deans, Ron Qualley and Jonny Halversen, have been great mentors to him. Other PUC teachers, past and present, that Darrin appreciates are Gennevieve Brown-Kibble, Julius Nam, Scott Blunt, Jean Sheldon, and Ross Winkle.

After graduation Darrin says he is going to take a year off “to figure out what’s next.” He has aspirations to obtain a masters degree in guitar performance and possibly get a doctorate in music theory. Because he enjoys working with youth and being in the educational atmosphere, Darrin eventually wants to teach music.