Profile of Desmond (Ballou '20, American University '24)

Desmond came to our attention back in 2017 when we formed the MATHlete club at Ballou High School. Everyone kept telling me, "Make sure you get Desmond to join." They were right. The young man loves math, sticking with the club for our summer enrichment program in 2018, and taking advanced math classes at Ballou as long as they were offered. Weeks after the academic year started during his senior year, Desmond was recruited to be part of a program at American University that eventually earned him a full scholarship to American.

Desmond has overcome incredible adversity while we have known him. He lost his best friend, James, to gun violence last year. Desmond's perseverance is an inspiration to all who know him. Desmond plans to major in computer science at American and eventually do something in the computer field.