Finding the Right Place

Ken Dara ’88 credits his mother for ensuring he had opportunities for success as an adult. Dara, raised in New Jersey, has dyslexia and remembers how his elementary and junior high schools expected him to learn like every other child.

“Growing up, I learned differently, and in the 70s and 80s, dyslexia wasn’t really thought of as what it is today,” he says.

As a young student, school for Dara was a “disaster.” Though he liked subjects like music and art and got along well with teachers, he struggled academically.

“When I got to junior high, it was sink or swim. That’s when my mother knew we had to change something,” he says.

After seeing his low grades, his mother hired a consultant to assist in finding a school that would provide more support for his learning difference. She fought for her son to have a better chance at learning. At age 12, Dara enrolled at The Kildonan School in Amenia, NY, an all-boys school where he attended and boarded for two years.

“I used to love riding—and still do. [Kildonan] had a pretty good sports and horseback riding program,” he shares. “Then, I decided I liked being in a more coed situation. That’s when I made the move to Forman.”

It was at Kildonan that he started to recognize his potential. This continued at Forman, where he began in ninth grade.

“The way [Forman] taught children was really an eye-opener for me,” Dara says. “Your self-worth and self-esteem really go down the tubes when you’re in the wrong environment, but when I came to Forman, it was completely different. There were kids like me, teachers who understood, and the education was geared toward students who had learning differences. [Being in the right environment] gives you a sense of worth and really picks up your confidence. That is what I was really lacking in a public school setting.”

At Forman, Dara was an avid cross-country runner, serving as captain of the team as a junior and senior. He also enjoyed composing music for the FTV (Film and Television) program. As a senior, Dara lived in Strive House, which was an unsupervised dorm and a privilege given to four students. To this day, he remains in touch with his roommate of four years, Knut Cutter ’88, as well as classmates Rich Henkels ’88 and Ed McKeown ’88.

One thing that stood out to Dara was the school’s advanced use of technology. He says he was amazed when he would hand in school papers on discs.

“To have a Mac lab that early was pretty insane, and to be able to learn using a computer was really cool,” he says. “Forman was definitely ahead of the curve when it came to using technology to help people with learning differences.”

 Forman has always embraced assistive technology. In 1986, Forman developed one of the first computer-aided writing courses in the country. Around this time, Apple Computer deferred to the school as an authority on the use of computers for individuals with learning differences.

 Dara was the first Forman student to receive the Richard G. Peirce Award, recognizing his leadership. Students today continue to receive this award, named in honor of Richard Peirce, who served as Head of School from 1979-1986. Peirce believed that there is a kind of leadership, which embodies an inner vision of community, a firm sense of integrity, and, most importantly, an understanding of the humor to be found in human relationships.

Forman prepared Dara for college in many ways, from his academics to living in the dorms. More importantly, he adds, “It gave me the confidence to go out into the world.”

Dara attended Bradford College, a small, liberal arts college in Massachusetts, which later closed in 2000. There, he majored in business and minored in music.

“Everyone at [Bradford] was very supportive [of my learning difference],” he says. “That’s what I liked about Forman, too—you could always go to your teacher and ask for help when you didn’t understand something. Being on campus, I would just walk over to the dorm they were in, and they could help me with my homework.”

Dara spent his summers off from school working with his mother, who was a high-powered real estate agent in New Jersey, and worked with international clients seeking to relocate to the U.S. Prior to selling real estate himself, he traveled and trained real estate agents in productivity software for 35 weeks out of the year. After years of extensive travel, he started his own tech training company out of Boston called Real Tech. He later lived for a short while in Europe before moving to California, where his journey in selling real estate began.

“I always told my mother that I saw how hard she worked in real estate, and I’m never going to do that. And, of course, what happened—I got into real estate,” he says. “I started selling and realized I’m actually good at it.”

Today, Dara is a Global Real Estate Advisor with Engel & Völkers, serving luxury clientele throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Marin County in California. He is also a member of Engel & Völkers’ exclusive Private Office Advisor Network, which provides the level of expertise and discretion that their high-net-worth client base demands.

“I’m probably one of the most connected real estate agents in the country,” he says. “Within Engel & Völkers’ global network, I am able to work with clients not just in the U.S. but also throughout Europe and Asia. It’s been a lot of fun to have that global presence.”

Dara says he finds his career in real estate rewarding.

“Every day is different. Every transaction is different,” he notes. “It’s about meeting people and learning about their lives and what they do and what they love and me being able to educate and share and get them into the home of their dreams.”

He adds, “It’s a good career, but you have to work really hard.”

Dara advises current Forman students, “Always be true to yourself and don’t let others dictate what’s best for you. Only you know what’s best for you. Find the right garden to grow in.”

Amid launching his real estate career in California, Dara married his wife, Maria, and started a family. They live in Tiburon/Belvedere and have two daughters: Kaia and Alessandra.