Dario Almonte - Ramapo High School
Hello Everyone! My name is Dario Almonte, and I recently graduated from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach Florida on May 4, 2020. Since second grade, I’ve known I wanted to be an airline pilot. I wanted to find the best school to provide quality training and a bachelor's degree. I found this at Embry Riddle and was able to graduate with a degree in Aeronautical Science with an Applied Meteorology Minor. I graduated with honors and a 3.89 GPA. Some of my major accomplishments at school include becoming a commercial pilot at 18 years old, getting my first professional flying job at 19, and accumulating over 750 hours of flight time in under 3 years time.
When I was a student at Ramapo High School, I was actively involved in extracurricular activities that included both the academic side of the spectrum and sports as well. I was president of National Honor Society, a tutor, a science olympiad member, a member of the academic league, a key club member, a local volunteer at the Greenwood Lake Airport in West Milford NJ, and I had my own production company. Throughout my 4 years of high school, I contributed over 200 hours of service with the various clubs I was a part of. Being involved in the basketball team and baseball team during my high school years was also significant and contributed to my overall academic and personal success. Babak was a leader involved in school, sports and the community. For these reasons, I believe I was awarded the Babak Najafi Scholarship in 2017.
In college, I stayed healthy by consistently being involved in intramural sports. As a member of Phi Gamma Delta, I played 7-7 football, basketball, and softball through the fraternity league yearly. Although I was not on the school team, like in my high-school years, I continued to participate in sports.
I graduated with three full-time job offers and was going to begin my Airline Pilot career at Republic Airways in August 2020. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, my job offers are frozen due to the uncertainty of the airline industry right now, but I am glad to be flying everyday as a flight instructor at Phoenix East Aviation in Daytona Beach Florida where I get to share my passion for aviation and teach students how to fly. I thank my support system at Ramapo High School for developing me into the man I am today. My positive experiences and remarkable teachers have created a strong structure in my life that I continue to depend on through all my endeavors.
I am extremely thankful for the Babak Najafi Memorial Scholarship fund for believing in me and helping fund my college career. I appreciate the mentorship, the yearly events, and updates on past alumni. I am forever grateful to be a part of this family and looking forward to staying actively involved with future recipients. Thank you!
