In 1997, Diarra Lamar graduated from Sidney Lanier High School’s Academic Motivational Program in Montgomery, Alabama, one of the toughest accelerated programs in the country. One teacher remembers him as “sensitive enough to care, wise enough to discriminate and independent enough to stand by commitments.” To Diarra, “the RBS award means that someone believes in my potential, aspirations and dreams.”

Diarra’s list of high school achievements is long and diverse. Not only did he rank in the top 1% of his class, but he was also a National Achievement Scholar, National Coca-Cola Scholar, and completed six years of study in Latin, earning magna cum laude twice on the National Latin Exam. Diarra was active in forensics (debate and extemporaneous speaking), competed in and won several national tournaments.

During his undergraduate years at Harvard College, Diarra was committed to working in several communities. He worked at a number of organizations serving the HIV/AIDS communities of Boston. He taught drama and debate to Cambridge-area school children. And he mentored first-year students through out all of his time at Harvard.

Having graduated magna cum laude from Harvard in Cognitive Neuroscience in 2001, Diarra is currently working at Horizon Blue Cross and Blue Shield

Outside of his main professional interests, Diarra is a serious photographer with a leaning towards portraiture. He is the proud uncle of two nephews who live back home in Alabama: Dontarius and Tai.