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DARIUS L. VINSON FOUNDATION

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DARIUS L. VINSON FOUNDATION
“DRIVEN, LOVING, VISIONARY”
          
The mission of the Darius L. Vinson Foundation is to impart the minority youth of the Far Rockaway community with the skill set and attributes to succeed in their future endeavors. Darius L. Vinson foundation is in memory of a remarkable individual and his accomplishments. His achievements have motivated many individuals in need to strive for their best. Our goal is to move our youth in the right direction to accomplish their dreams. We integrate many services to inspire our teens to believe in themselves to be the future leaders. We are continuing to live Darius L. Vinson’s vision to support his passion to show the world that a dream can come true. Our combination of services enhances our youth to have individuality and build the necessary skills in academics, recreational activities, and social values. 

BIOGRAPHY OF DARIUS L. VINSON
Darius Lord Vinson, only son of Denise Greig and Damon L. Vinson; was born October 1, 1988 in Queens, New York.  Darius was called home to be with the Our Heavenly Father on Tuesday, August 18, 2015. From a young age Darius showed potential for a life full of achievements and successes. He attended P.S 105 Elementary School, where his teachers raved about his intellectual abilities. When he was just in middle school he was well on his way to becoming successful. He then attended P.S/M.S. 43. While he was there he was the editor of the school newspaper. He then became a major focus of a full editorial in The Wave newspaper to recognize his community service work. He also received the Governor George Pataki Committee on Scholastic Achievement Award and the New York City Council Speaker’s Gifford Miller Achievement Award. He was also the recipient of two New York State Assembly Citizenship awards granted by former Queens Assemblywomen Michele Titus and Audrey Pheffer. His achievements continued to flourish as he was recognized with the Rockaway Rotary Club award and The School and Community Working Together Award.  He was the recipient of the Rosemary Marchong Memorial Scholarship and the Fun District 27's Science and Social Studies Exit Project Fair Award as well. 

Darius then attended George Westinghouse Information Technology High School where he received his Regents Diploma with Advanced Placement Honors. While there, he obtained his certification in AutoCAD Architectural Design. He was a member of the George Westinghouse Varsity Indoor/Outdoor Track Team. He was involved in several civic programs such as the Anti-Bullying Committee, iMentor, Quality Steering Committee, and the George Westinghouse Philanthropic Association. He was the only student to be nominated to the Westinghouse Leadership Team four years in a row. In his senior year of high school he grew a profound love for boxing that he later then dedicated his life to. One of his greatest achievements was becoming the first amateur fighter from Irish Ropes to win the Golden Gloves in 2006.

Darius then went on to attend John Jay College of Criminal Justice and obtained two Bachelors’ degrees. He received his first Bachelor’s of Science degree in Police Studies in 2012 and obtained a second Bachelor’s of Arts degree in 2015 for Law and Society with a certification in Dispute Resolution. While attending John Jay he was a USA Certified Athlete in the John Jay Boxing Program and USA Boxing Commission. He was the recipient of the Kenneth C. Hall Jr. Memorial Foundation Scholarship Fund. He completed his peer-reviewed thesis on Institutional Discrimination in Education. He assisted with the Annual Kay Pranis Restorative Justice Special Presentation. He was accepted into the Pre-Law Institute and was a Pre-Law Boot Camp Graduate. While there, he was awarded best speaker of the debate.

Darius’ kind-hearted personality also led him to participate in various volunteer projects. He volunteered as a tutor for the John Jay writing workshops. He also volunteered at God’s Battalion Loving Care Center where he helped with City Harvest. He was the co-founder of the Rockaway Ropes Boxing Facility, where he wrote grants to provide a safe home for at-risk youth in Rockaway. He volunteered at the Parsons Beacon Junior High After-School Program. Most recently, he was a Peacemaker with the Red Hook Community Justice Center where he was a role model and mentor to at-risk youth.

Darius had specific goals that he wanted to achieve and he was determined and persistent in accomplishing them. Among these goals were to become a criminal defense lawyer and a professional boxer. Darius faced many challenges in his life that delayed some of his goals due to failures of the education and legal system, but he did not lose sight of his dreams. He was a determined man who strived to reach all of his goals regardless of his circumstances. In doing so, he touched the hearts of many people that gave him the confidence to follow his amazing journey in life. Despite his constant hard work to achieve his goals, he also took part in many leisure activities such as skateboarding, surfing, writing and swimming.

Darius always loved spending time with his friends and family whom he held very close to his heart. His charming, outgoing and friendly personality always made people smile. He had a special gift for motivating others to do the right thing and served as a role model to all. His kind heart made sure everyone around him was always happy. He always went out of his way to make others feel included. Most importantly, he gave advice to all and always saw the best in people and pushed them to reach their full potential. Darius always wanted to keep his family together as one unit and reached above and beyond to build strong connections with them. He had a big heart, where he never let anyone go unrecognized. He will truly be missed in every aspect of his loved ones lives.

Please see these articles about Darius below:
What Happened to Darius 8/18/2015?
Community Activist and Role Model
Community Activist, Role Model and Writer
Scroll down to Class Notes (Alumni News) - Darius Vinson


JJay Sociology Newsletter Issue 1 Fall 2015


Darius Vinson 10/1/1988 - 8/18/2015




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    Organizer and beneficiary

    Raven Perera
    Organizer
    Arverne, NY
    Denise Greig
    Beneficiary
    • Other

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