When a ministry team from Hip Hop & Hope spent the day with the kids at Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch, Dayson made a special connection with keynote speaker Artie Gonzales.
"I felt like Artie and I had something in common because my godfather went to prison like he did. I asked him to sit by me at lunch and we bonded over that, like a friendship-type bond," said Dayson, a former Ranch resident and current day student at Dakota Memorial School (DMS), the Ranch's on-campus school.
Artie spent time in the California prison system before being released as a model prisoner in 2015. Now a movie writer and producer, author, and speaker, Artie is a member of several social justice organizations and a guest speaker for Hip Hop & Hope. 
When Artie asked Dayson about his favorite movies and discovered Dayson was a big fan of Ryan Reynolds, he said, "Really? I know Ryan Reynolds. Can I take our picture and email it to him?"
"I kind of freaked out," Dayson said. "Artie sent our picture to Ryan and mentioned what I had said about him at lunch."
Dayson said Ryan Reynolds' movies helped him through tough times.
"I was going through a lot of depression and was in and out of the hospital," Dayson said. "Watching Ryan Reynolds' movies helped me relax. When I'm down, I watch Ryan Reynolds—I even watch the commercials he does on YouTube—and I can't stop laughing. He is a big idol of mine."
Dayson has lived with his grandmother most of his life and calls her "Mom." His eyes light up when he talks about her.
"I was bullied a lot in school and other kids told me I should just slit my wrists. I had friends, but they stabbed me in the back and always chose the other person's side," Dayson said. "I just wish they'd have stuck up for me sometimes."
To cope with the pain and uncontrollable anger, Dayson started drinking, using drugs, fighting, and getting in trouble with the police. At age 14, Dayson was placed in residential treatment at the Ranch—and he said being at the Ranch changed him.
"Paul, my primary, and all the staff were very nice to me, even though I was mean to them. I had a lot of freakouts," Dayson said. "Ranch staff told me I might not always be able to control my behaviors, but I can take responsibility for them. They taught me that I need to work on myself and learn to control my anger, so that's what I did."
Now in his third year as a Day Student at DMS, Dayson has "real friends" and enjoys school. If he thinks he might have done or said something wrong, he is quick to talk to someone to see what they think about the situation and how he might have handled it differently.
Dayson is focused on getting his grades up to graduate in May 2024. And he has some advice for other kids who are making bad decisions.
"If you want to change yourself and be better in the future, you can. Set goals and work towards completing them," Dayson said. "If you have a goal, work towards it and never give up."
And when all else fails, watch a Ryan Reynolds movie!
To learn more about Hip Hop & Hope and Artie, visit hiphopandhopetours.org and artiegonzales.com.
This article was originally published in Ranch Voice: Summer 2023.
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