Parents of the year
Parents of the year
Darius, BBA '79, and Holly DiTallo, BA '79, started out like hundreds, if not thousands of other Baylor couples. They met at Baylor as students and got married a few months after graduation. In the following years, they moved away from Waco, spending most of their time since graduation in another state.
Over the years, they had two children: a daughter, Devin, and a son, Hunter. With the DiTallos settled in Arizona, Devin chose to stay close to home and attended the University of Arizona, but Hunter decided to follow in the footsteps of his parents (and his uncle, and a grandfather) and enroll at Baylor.
Hunter's arrival at Baylor rekindled the DiTallos' connection with their alma mater. Darius and Holly immediately became involved with the Phoenix Parents League Chapter, helping host send-off parties for area students and their families. Holly has also led the local First Call to Prayer group for several years, providing a meaningful way for parents to support their Baylor students through prayer.
Renewing that relationship with Baylor is one of the many joys families often find when multiple generations attend BU. Similar stories could be shared for many other Baylor legacy families, but only one couple each year can be honored during Parents Weekend as Baylor's Parents of the Year. For 2011, that couple is the DiTallos.
"My parents have never forced me to do anything in life, but when I decided to attend Baylor and follow in their footsteps, you could tell it was one of the proudest moments of their lives," said Hunter, now a senior entrepreneurship major. "Knowing this, and my parents, I couldn't have been happier and more excited to attend a school where I knew my full potential and purpose as a servant to God would be reached."