Dynamic Da’Rya

Whether in the dance studio choreographing for Imani, preparing for Mock Trial, or proctoring the halls of Merrill, Da'Rya McAllister is known as a bright and dynamic personality, always there to offer some help or a smile. McAllister, a four-year senior from Ohio, has taken full advantage of the activities and opportunities the Academy has to offer.Dance is one of McAllister's primary passions, which she discovered upon coming to Exeter. “I didn't really take dance seriously before I came to Exeter,” McAllister said, “but I realized after trying out for Imani my prep year that it was something I enjoyed and wanted to continue to do.”McAllister finds not only a medium for expression in dance, but also enjoys being able to share it with others through performance. “I love dance because of the adrenaline rush before you get on stage to perform, and then the feeling of accomplishment after you come off the stage,” she said.Alongside senior Crystal Clements, co-head of Imani, McAllister will choreograph the group’s routines, including the one they will perform this weekend at the Exeter/Andover pep rally. “Choreography gives me the freedom to express myself in the way that I want,” McAllister said.Clements met McAllister their second week of prep year. Both girls tried out for Imani and developed as dancers and leaders through their years at Exeter, eventually becoming co-heads together, in addition to attending an SYA program in France together.“We’ve been making up dances together since prep year, so it comes really naturally to us,” McAllister said. “I do ballet and modern dance, and I was trained in dance, and she’s more of a hip-hop dancer, but it’s because of those different backgrounds that we work so well together. She’s an amazing co-head. I couldn’t imagine being a co-head with anyone else.”Dance also allows for McAllister to develop the connections and friendships that she says have been key to her time at Exeter. “I love that we are all part of a team and are all there for each other. We form bonds through dance and become close to one other,” McAllister said.McAllister is a versatile artist, as both a dancer and a singer. She began singing from an early age and participated in church and school choirs. Once a student at the Academy, McAllister continued her on this path as a member of two singing groups, the gospel choir and the a cappella group In Essence.“I love singing because I feel like I'm able to find a release through the music and the lyrics, and it also calms and relaxes me,” McAllister said.Gospel choir and In Essence are different types of singing groups, a fact McAllister not only acknowledges, but enjoys, saying it allows her to interact with different types of people and to make the connections with people that she values so much. “Gospel choir and a capella attract different groups of people and it's great that I’m able to be apart of both of them. I think it just goes to show the universality of music and that there is something for everyone,” McAllister said.Upper Sacharja Cunningham appreciates McAllister’s sunny and helpful presence as co-head of Gospel Choir. “She’s definitely a great instructor,” Cunningham said. “She always has a smile on her face, and she has a good sense of humor. She’s good at making practices fun and lighthearted. Every time I go to a practice and she’s the instructor, she’s not too strict and that helps us learn songs better.”Reverend Robert Thompson has also noticed the positivity that McAllister brings to the group. “She’s been a faithful member to the choir,” Thompson said. “She’s always been a very loyal member, and she has a lot of respect for the group because she’s such a great person.”During her year abroad in France, this universality of music was apparent in McAllister's life. She joined a professional gospel choir that was on tour around the country. “I had so much fun singing with them and performing a solo was probably one of the highlights of my time in France, McAllister said.McAllister credits her year abroad in France as a particularly important part of her high school career. “It was a big decision to go abroad, but after a couple of weeks there, I realized that it was one of the best decisions I'd ever made,” McAllister said.Clements noted the effect that SYA had on her and McAllister and their friendship. “SYA changed us both in a good way,” Clements said. “We both came to appreciate some of the smaller things in life. Us applying together also made us stronger friends because we could really relate to each other in that way, and dealing with the process of going away, and coming back now.”McAllister began to study French in the seventh grade and felt that living in France would allow for a full immersion into the language and culture. “Being surrounded by the language and the people is different and so much better than studying from out of a textbook,” McAllister said.Being away from the Academy for a year provided a breather after her prep and lower years, but they also showed McAllister how important Exeter was to her. “While I was in France, I missed Exeter, and I realized just how special what we have here is. The education is like no other, and I really value it,” she said.McAllister is also a regular face at mock trial conferences, something that she began in middle school. McAllister attended the Cleveland School of the Arts, where acting was an important part of her extracurricular activities. While she had less time for acting due to other activities, mock trial still gave her the space to perform. “I usually play character witnesses, and I’m known as the ‘crying witness’ by my peers in mock trial because I play these dramatic parts,” she said.Throughout all the aspects of McAllister’s life at Exeter and her many talents, McAllister is trusted by her peers and thought of as a great friend and leader.“She’s the best person to go to for real advice,” Clements said. “She doesn’t sugar-coat anything. If you want someone to be 100% honest, she’s the best person to go to.”Senior Leah Sparks agrees and values McAllister’s impact on her experience at Exeter. “I can trust her with any information, and she gives really good advice to me for whatever I’m going through,” Sparks said. “She’s always there for me, and I’m always there for her. No matter what I’m going through, she’ll always have my back. She’s a really great proctor and she’s really funny, too - she’s definitely a clown in the dorm.”McAllister’s advisor, art instructor, Carla Collins has known her since she came to the Academy as a prep. “She’s just really wonderful role-model for all the girls younger than her, and she’s really helpful to them. She shows a lot of support for her peers, and she’s everything you would want in a proctor and a student.”