The Exponent Online


8/17/2001	Welcome Back Issue

Student valued people above all

By Kurt Esposito
Assistant Campus Editor

Daryn West knew his brother Ryan touched many lives during his life, but he did not realize how many until after his death.

During Ryan's funeral many people — more than expected — came to talk about Ryan, 21, who would have been a senior in the School of Education this year.

He died as a result of drowning July 29 when a car he was a passenger in ran off the road and into a pond.

One story told at the funeral was about Ryan and how he volunteered to do missionary work in Mexico. A supervisor gave Ryan and a few others the task of installing drywall in a house. Ryan left and when he came back he discovered the group had done a poor job and installed the dry wall the wrong way.

Ryan then discovered the group had decided to go outside and play with some local kids. Someone asked Ryan what he wanted to get out of the trip and he said he wanted to return home with a connection to the people he met. A few days later one of the young children he was playing with ran up and hugged him.

It reminded the person telling the story that Ryan valued people over projects.

"He was so special," said his brother.

He said Ryan was "peculiar" for today's time because he was concerned with the important things in life and not the superficial things.

"I think those are the things that matter," said Daryn.

He was involved with his church and was a member of Young Life — a campus ministry organization based on campus with about 40 student members. With Young Like he spent time talking with high school students and volunteering at youth camps.

Daryn said he would like to remember Ryan as more than a member of Young Life, but he has a hard time doing so because he was so devoted to it.

He said Ryan had a deep faith in Jesus Christ and shared it with everyone around him.

Ryan also enjoyed writing poetry and playing guitar. He was thinking of becoming a high school English teacher or a minister after graduating.

Daryn said Ryan was the type to always have friends around him. He said Ryan was not a clown but could always make people smile, because he would always listen.

"He let them know he really cared about them," said Daryn.

He said it helped that Ryan had many of the same questions about his faith that other people did and that he was willing to talk about them, but not in a preachy way.

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