“Derwin has a heart for today’s young people. Knowing about them is not enough, he desires to know what makes them tick and then challenge them to become all that God has created them to be. As a staff member at Artios, he intentionally learned each student’s name within the first couple weeks of school so he would be able to call them by name. This opened the door for him to be able to enter into conversation with them and dive deep into conversations where other adults may have been shut out. Derwin’s own children enjoy being with him and welcome him into their friend groups which I think speaks to the type of relationship they have with their father.
It is not enough in today’s world to tell a young person how they should live and expect them to be motivated to follow through. Relationship is vital in building trust with students! As a teacher and mentor at Artios Derwin has sought to connect with the students. He knows them by name, he takes the time to learn who they are and what they are passionate about. But he doesn’t stop there. He then challenges them in what they claim to believe, especially when their actions do not line up with what they are professing. He is able to speak the truth in a way that allows the students to absorb it, even when it isn’t what they want to hear.”
Kelly Harvie