Legacy Society - David Der-Arakelian


David Der-Arakelian Scholarship Fund

Changing Lives through Teen Travel Camp

David aboard a ship he served on

David with his dad Paul

  • The David Der-Arakelian Scholarship Fund was established in 2012 in the memory of David who died too early in life from a car accident.  The Scholarship Fund keeps David's memory alive by awarding scholarships to children of single moms.  These scholarships enable teen to attend the Boys & Girls Clubs of Mercer County's Teen Travel Camp.

    Teens who attend this program are at a critical stage in their youth development, and connecting them to the Club, keeping them focused and away from trouble during the summer months, can be the turning point in their lives.

    On-going gifts to the Fund can be made by Clicking Here

     

    David's Story

    Born in NJ in 1975, his home life began to deteriorate when he was in preschool, and his parents, John and Ruth Ann divorced.  After he and his mother moved in with his grandmother, Ruth Ann fell in love with Ron, and moved David to Delaware to start their new life.  It was a tough transition, but David was resilient  and began making friends and enjoying his new surroundings.

    A few years passed in Delaware, and Ruth Ann died suddenly leaving David in the care of his stepfather, Ron.  David's biological father, John, soon decided that David should live with him, and David then moved to Kentucky.  

    Home life in Kentucky proved to be unstable, one fateful evening David called his Uncle Paul in New Jersey.  This one phone call changed the course of David's entire life.  Uncle Paul contacted local authorities, flew down to Kentucky and returned to New Jersey with a frightened eleven year old boy.  An intense custody battle ensued.  The courts determined that it would be best for David to live with his Uncle Paul, Aunt Ruth and their two daughters in New Jersey. 

    This was a major transition for David.  He was once again moving to another state, he now needed to learn to live with other children.  He was to attend one of the top public schools in New Jersey.  For the first time, in a long time, David was part of a healthy, loving, and functional family. David got to experience his own new clothes, family vacations, and extracurricular activities-- and football!  He loved the game, and was a talented athlete, exceling from his Pop Warner team all the way to varsity in high school.  While playing for the North Andover high school team, the Boston Globe named him palyer of the week several times.  After graduationg from North Andover High School, David joined the NAVY with aspirations of becoming a NAVY SEAL.

    After moving back home to New Jersey, and getting a job with an engineering company.  He found a lot of his experience, and his strong work ethic gave him a competitive advantage within his company.  David continued to be a hard worker,  he began each day at 4:30 am with a work out, he worked, and attended community college. One October night, on the way home from an exam, another driver lost consciousness and ran into David's car, killing him instantly.

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