Medway Public Schools Name 2025 Light the Spark Award Recipients

This year’s Light the Spark Award recipients are Special Needs Transportation program van driver Daniel Darst, left, and youth soccer coach Emily Morrison. (Photo Courtesy Medway Public Schools)

MEDWAY — Daniel Darst pulled into the Nelsons’ driveway for the first time and the nonverbal young boy approached his open van window.

“There is one student rider who gave me back much more than I could have ever expected,” Darst said earlier this week. “He speaks very little, but his intentions are always known. The first time he entered my van to be buckled by his mom, he stood next to me, looked up directly into my rearview mirror, smiled and then looked at me and took his little hand and patted my chest softly.”

His mother buckled him in. They said their goodbyes. And Darst drove little Benjamin Nelson to school.

“And I reached down to grab tissues,” Darst recalled.

The retiree turned child transporter knew he had made the right choice, signing up to drive Medway’s most valuable, fragile cargo to school each morning.

The forever-changed van driver was one of two 2025 Light the Spark Award recipients Thursday night, alongside youth soccer coach Emily Morrison.

“When you have a child who cannot speak and advocate for himself, there is always a concern about how they are going to be treated,” said Benjamin’s father Bart Nelson, who nominated Darst for the Light the Spark Award. “Dan eased our anxieties with his big smile every day. Ben would get very excited seeing Dan pull into the driveway. We never had any safety concerns and always felt that our son was in good hands.”

The Award

Superintendent Armand Pires and Director of Student Services Jeffrey Lappin are proud to recognize Darst and Morrison, the two members of the Medway community who received the Light the Spark Award Thursday night.

The annual award acknowledges community members who are not professional educators or school staff but see and celebrate the spark in children and families and help it to shine more brightly, benefiting the child, their family, their peers and the Medway community. The nominators are family members of students with exceptional needs, on an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504, to recognize those individuals (non-educators) who have made a real difference in their everyday lives.

“Our Light the Spark Award winners always showcase the extraordinary members of our Medway community who may otherwise go unrecognized,” said Superintendent Pires. “Men and women like Dan and Emily represent the best of us, and I hope this award continues to inspire both the recipients and the entire Medway community.”

Each year, the award is presented in memory of Kathleen B. Thomsen, the late grandmother of three Medway students. Thomsen never failed to recognize and celebrate the spark in those around her.

Initiated by family members Donna Danielewski and Matt Thomsen, the first Light the Spark recognition was awarded in 2019 and has been sponsored by the Danielewski-Thomsen family every year since.

The award founders help to select the winners and attend the award ceremony each year, congratulating the winners and presenting tokens of appreciation.

“Emily and Dan truly light the spark every day they encounter youth in Medway,” said Director Lappin. “Their dedication, patience and positive attitudes are infectious and the results are undeniably heartwarming.”

Emily Morrison

Medway Youth Soccer coach Emily Morrison was nominated by Shawna Brickman, the mother of one of her players.

“First and foremost, Emily is an amazing human being and such a positive light to all around her,” Brickman said. “It’s no surprise Charlie bonded with her right away. Charlie loves soccer and it was a joy to watch her so happy running around the field and learning the game.”

Brickman’s daughter Charlie lives with epilepsy, and suffered a seizure just a few weeks into the last soccer season. 

“This seizure left her fatigued and affected her short term memory as well,” Brickman said. “She couldn’t remember most of what she had learned in the beginning of the season.”

At first, Brickman didn’t mention Charlie’s epilepsy to Coach Emily.

“It had been a long time since she had a seizure and either my husband or I were always at the games or practices in case Charlie had a medical need,” Brickman explained. “After the seizure I told Emily what had happened and that we would miss that week’s game. I wasn’t sure if she could return at all, but I started there. Emily immediately replied, offering care and support in a very difficult and dark time for us.”

That reply deeply touched the Brickman family.

“Emily went above and beyond to make sure both Charlie, my husband and I felt as comfortable as we could,” Brickman recalled. “Because of her we could feel a little bit of normalcy. Having a child with epilepsy, you constantly worry and she made that worry a little bit less.”

Morrison works in retail management and has three children (ages 8, 7 and 3 years old) who are all active in Medway community sports.

“I love coaching the girls for so many reasons,” Morrison said. “It has been so rewarding to see the girls really come together. They build relationships and friendships on the team. It’s amazing to see them try their best and not give up or get discouraged when things aren’t easy and don’t go their way, to see the girls cheer one another on and celebrate the things that do go well for one another. And of course, hopefully they have fun, and learn and progress at the game itself.”

Ultimately, Charlie was cleared to return to the team. The Brickmans appreciated Morrison’s guidance and understanding. She generated ideas to help Charlie feel safe and comfortable on the field and the sidelines.

“She moved Charlie to defense so she didn’t have to run as much and could still play,” recalled Charlie’s mom. “She gave her extra breaks. Emily spoke with Charlie and came up with hand signals to tell her when she needed a break … What she did was by no means a tiny thing. We got to watch our girl play a game that she loves and be happy in a very scary time and that was because of Emily.”

And despite young Charlie’s challenges, she was a standout member of Morrison’s team, contributing far more than just goals and assists.

“I loved having Charlie on the team this year,” Morrison said. “She is a positive bright light, and never gives anything less than 100% effort. She has been a joy to coach.”

Daniel Darst

Specialized 7D Van Driver Daniel Darst was nominated by Bart Nelson.

“Dan drove my son Benjamin last school year and for the first few weeks of this school year,” Nelson said. “Ben has autism and is nonverbal … Additionally, my wife had serious medical concerns last year. Dan always asked how she was doing, offered his thoughts and prayers and could relate to what we were going through. It was nice to have his support as he cheered on her good health.”

Recent transportation changes resulted in a new driver each morning. But the Nelson family will never forget the kindness Darst showed them each and every morning as they kissed their quiet little boy goodbye in the driveway.

“Although Dan isn’t currently driving Ben, we are happy that his efforts are being acknowledged through this award and we wish him the best,” Nelson said. 

And the little boy left an even bigger impression on his driver.

“I have always enjoyed every single interaction with this amazing family, the Nelsons,” said Darst, who was the first van driver hired by the Medway Public Schools in 2022 when the District purchased and outfitted two vans as part of their initial Special Needs Transportation program.

Darst had recently retired, ending a near 42-year career spanning casinos, computers, accounting and technology, including lots of world travel.

“Yet never with kindergartners in a mini van,” Darst joked. “So of course I applied for this new job.”

Darst had hoped to pay his greens fees at a local golf course and enjoy summers off.

“But much more than that happened,” Darst said. “These wonderful children awakened in me my desire to serve. They did this for me while they were waking up themselves.”

Darst’s driving philosophy can be summed up with a simple motto: “Keep ‘em Safe. Keep ‘em Warm. Keep ‘em Loved.”

“I always looked for the wonder in their eyes as they exited my van, excited to see their teachers, friends and to walk excitedly in their day place,” Darst said. “Going home was as much a joy. Each kid always came onto my van in the afternoon with more than they had in the morning. I was thrilled to see their excitement to ‘bring it home.’”

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This year’s Light the Spark Award recipients are Special Needs Transportation program van driver Daniel Darst and youth soccer coach Emily Morrison. They posed for photos with Donna Danielewski and Matt Thomsen, relatives of Kathleen B. Thomsen. The award is presented each year in her memory. (Photo Courtesy Medway Public Schools)

2025 Light the Spark Award recipient youth soccer coach Emily Morrison is surrounded by her family, Donna Danielewski and Matt Thomsen. (Photo Courtesy Medway Public Schools)

Light the Spark Award recipient Specialized 7D Van Driver Daniel Darst is surrounded by his family, Donna Danielewski and Matt Thomsen. (Photo Courtesy Medway Public Schools)