“Derek has exemplary creative intelligence, work ethic, diligence, and perseverance. He is in an Upper School Latin course -- level III literature -- that's very rare for an 8th grade student in any of our languages. He is 14 and has read authentic Julius Caesar better than many college students. He has had the mental discipline to handle the unapologetic rigor of this course. And while Derek's succeeding beautifully in all his academic classes, he's playing baseball and soccer with everything he's got; he's reading music and playing the clarinet; he's a deeply talented artistic maverick with both vision and skill; he's a sly comedian -- something his quiet, mild-mannered exterior belies; and his service ethic, which he demonstrated on the 8th grade trip, is extraordinary. Derek has rambunctious humor and get-me-outdoors energy, but knows how and when to channel it. His priorities are in order. His classmates like him, respect him, and laugh with him.”
-Racquel Yerbury, a former St. Andrew's Latin teacher, describing the essence of Derek when he earned the 8th Grade Latin Award.