ATLANTA — Marietta High School graduate Darby Dryden’s success in the water will continue as she prepares to enter the Naval Academy.
Dryden has had a busy four years serving as Marietta’s senior class president while spending time as a competitive swimmer and sailor.
“After a really hard and stressful week, that was what I looked forward to was my escape, was to go sailing or to just get in the water,” Dryden said.
She’s had to balance her competitive life on the water with the grueling schedule of a high school senior.
“A big lesson that I got out of high school was time management,” she added. “One of the last weeks of senior year I had three tests in a week for this class, and then I had a regatta that weekend. Everybody had the weekend to work on it but I had to grind that whole week.”
Darby ultimately loves a challenge.
She also volunteers with the non-profit Books for Africa and committed herself to collecting 3,200 donated books. She’s at 14,000 and counting.
“Giving them a purpose again, sending them to Africa to people who’ve never seen a book before,” explained Dryden. “We’re helping the children develop an imagination reading these books.”
At the Naval Academy, she’ll continue to pursue her love of water. But she won’t stay wet forever.
“If all goes well, flight school,” said Dryden. “I would love to travel so I know the Navy is going to help me with that, but in my off time I’ll be able to fly myself anywhere I want to.”
This Marietta High School senior is going places.