Daniel Patrick Smith 1993–4/8/11
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Daniel was 17 years old, and a sophomore at Chatsworth High School. Daniel was a great lover of music, cats, rocks, cats, Native American cultures, cats, and most of all, people. His taste in music was eclectic, but he especially loved world music, which he felt showed us that people of all cultures are essentially the same and can be together in harmony. He loved to learn about and practice the stone-age technique of tool making called flint-knapping. During his short life, he travelled throughout the United States on vacations with his family in search of materials for his hobby. He planned to become a scientist and study how people could live in simple harmony with the earth, as the Native Americans once did. Daniel was diagnosed with Williams syndrome, and had a congenital heart defect. His unique learning abilities highlighted the need for a fully inclusive (non-segregated) education. He was the inspiration that led to the founding of the CHIME Charter School, now the Arnold Schwarzenegger Community School in Woodland Hills, California. He participated in activities with the Williams Syndrome Association.
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