Love of dancing helps land Dartest Abbeville High mascot gig

Thursday night is a big night for one Abbeville High School senior.
Aaron Dartest will make his debut as the new Abbeville High School Wildcat Mascot in the home opener to begin the season.
What makes Dartest’s debut so special is that he has Down Syndrome. He has never been a mascot before nor has he performed in front of hundreds of people like a crowd at a football game.
His mother, Cynthia Dartest, will be near Dartest as he performs. She said she wanted her son’s senior year to be one he will remember.
“I want his senior year to be a memorial one,” said Dartest. “I wanted him to get involved with his school.”
So she got the ball rolling back in June to find something for her son to do in school.
She asked a couple of people at school and met with Tiffany Alexander at AHS about getting her son involved.
Aaron Dartest loves to dance and his mother was hoping he can do some kind of dancing at the school.
It was Alexander who informed Dartest and his mother that no one was the AHS mascot. Dartest could dance while in a Wildcat uniform.
“I am going to be representing Abbeville High School,” said Aaron Dartest.
He will be on the AHS sideline again Friday when the Wildcats open the year against Vinton.
Abbeville High Principal Ivy Landry is happy to have Aaron as a mascot.
“Aaron is a great kid who loves to dance and entertain other students, which makes him a perfect Wildcat Mascot,” said Landry.
Dartest attends Jill Listi Dance Studio in Lafayette.
His mom describes her son as a “people person” who loves getting involved in the community. He visits Abbeville General Hospital and the ARC with teacher Brenda Trahan.
Dartest volunteers at Women of Change Ministry, where his mother is a member.