Meet Darieon McFadden | Student of life & Face of the future

We had the good fortune of connecting with Darieon McFadden and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Darieon, what’s one piece of conventional advice that you disagree with?
A piece of conventional advice that I disagree with is that you should always be open to advice. In the words of a famous artist, you cannot give me any advice. Seriously though, I only take advice if I feel it contributes to the person that I desire to be. Many times, in my life, I have been told to take the safe route. Anyone who knows me knows I will commonly take the road less traveled. My reasoning is there must be something worth gaining from this road if it was traveled in the first place. This could be knowledge, experience, a new opportunity, a friend, a partner, a mentor, literally anything. If I took the advice of some, I would have never gone to my undergraduate university and would have been a member of the U.S military. Nothing against the military, but my undergraduate experiences allowed me to meet people I will spend the rest of my life with. It gave me experiences money cannot buy, and I had a heck of a lot of fun. Furthermore, I was told to limit my artistic ventures to focus on school. I continued to get the best of both worlds and now I’m getting noticed for just doing something I love. It’s all about balance.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

I recently graduated with a Master of Public Health degree and am pursuing a career in higher education. Though higher education is the focus, my poetic journey is evolving as well. The thing that sets me apart from others is my desire to create my own story. Though many have this same outlook in life, the method of how I complete my journey is quite different. I say this as humbly as possible, but I look to myself for a role model. When I am tasked with what my next step will be, I ask myself, “how would the person I want to be most like accomplish the task?” Having this mindset makes me excited. When I complete my goals, I look back and appreciate how blessed I am to be able to create such a beautiful story.

I am where I am professionally from sheer willpower. I set goals and I get it done. Of course, I cannot take 100% of the credit, but the work that was put in was all me. It was far from easy. Imagine a building with no blueprint or instructions and no money. That was the level of ease. I overcame it once again by sheer willpower. The thought lingered in my head that if I gave up, I would be another great story that was never finished. I’d be potential. And potential doesn’t pay bills, so I found ways to make things happen. It taught me that anything is possible and more importantly stay down until you come up. Most people want to be a star as soon as possible, but stars fall every day. I want to be around for a while, so I learned to take opportunities when the timing is right and to not attempt to jump at what many would define as success too soon.

What I want the world to know is that dreams do come true. Never stop fighting for what you believe in. When you lose much, there is much more to gain.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m very much a homebody, so I would phone a friend for suggestions. In an imaginary world if I were more outside, I would begin with a trip to the various museums and art galleries around the city. The High is what everyone knows, but I’m open to suggestions of something outside of traditional forms of art. I have an admiration for fashion, so Atlantic Station, Cumberland Mall, and a few thrift stores will be in rotation for sure. While at Atlantic Station, we would grab food and catch up. I have no favorite spots in Atlantic Station, I just explore based on what I have a taste for. The day would likely end with watching sports. The next day would be a visit to Chattahoochee Food Works and maybe bowling or something. The next day I’d need a break because I can’t be outside three days in a row. On the fourth day, a hike and a trip to a gun show would be on the itinerary. I have a lot of favorite hiking spot, but right now Indian Seat has a special place in my heart. On the fifth day, the first day would be repeated, but instead of ending the night watching a game, going to a lounge would be in the rotation. The last two days would be improvised with brunch as the main event.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
As I’m sure many have done, I first want to thank God for the opportunity to live this life. Second, third and thirty-ninth chances were given, and that allowed me to be better. Next, my family, especially my mom and stepdad, have been the greatest supporters in my life. In each stage they have all played their role in providing resources, inspiration, love, and the opportunity to stand on their shoulders to be greater. My mentors have been the greatest gifts I could have received, and they showed me there is a such thing as a family that aren’t blood relatives. Lastly, I cannot name everyone, as I do not want to omit anyone, but all my peeps, dudes/dudettes, dunnies, comrades, and whatever else y’all want to call yourself. Y’all are my chosen family and I thank God for y’all every day. And I would be remiss if I did not give a special thanks to Sankofa Studio for allowing me to share my poetry with the world for the first time.

Instagram: aintyou_d.a

Image Credits
Qhira Bonds