Devarjaye “DJ” Daniel sat beside U.S. Secret Service leadership on Wednesday to congratulate the graduates of Special Agent Training Class 445 at the James J. Rowley Training Center in Beltsville, Maryland.
Himself a newly appointed honorary Special Agent, the 13-year-old applauded as 24 men and women were sworn in as Special Agents. Those attending the graduation greeted Daniel as a celebrity, just weeks after he received his Secret Service credentials March 4 during President Donald Trump’s Joint Address to Congress.
“Tonight, DJ, we’re going to do you the biggest honor of them all,” President Trump said during his speech. “I am asking our new Secret Service director, Sean Curran, to officially make you an agent of the United States Secret Service.”
DJ said he was shocked by the President’s announcement and hugged Director Curran, who handed him his commission book and badge. DJ visited Trump at the White House the following day and later met Elon Musk.
“When I went into the office, he (President Trump) was surprised to see me. I brought him a cowboy hat,” DJ, who lives outside Houston, said.
DJ was diagnosed with brain and spinal cancer in 2018. He’s had more than 13 brain surgeries and is part of a research study that has given his family hope, DJ’s father, Theodis Daniel, said.
“He’s beating the odds,” said Theodis Daniel, noting that his son was given just five months to live after his initial diagnosis.
Since DJ was diagnosed with cancer, the father and son have visited more than 900 law enforcement agencies. Nearly all of them have named DJ an honorary officer, most recently adding the Arkansas State Capitol Police and Arkansas State Police to his impressive list.
“If you call us to come, we are gonna show up,” Theodis Daniel said. “We will do anything to try to motivate people and give them hope.”
There were plenty of smiles at the Secret Service training facility during DJ’s March 19 visit. Following the graduation and lunch, the Daniels visited a garage and driving pad where special agents and uniformed officers train to operate emergency vehicles.
They also saw the president’s limousine, known as the Beast. Dressed in his signature Houston Police Department uniform, DJ took pictures beside the famous limousine with Director Curran and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.
From there, they were given an inside look at the Special Operations Division, which provides tactical support for the Secret Service’s protective details. DJ was handed a heavy ballistic vest and attempted to pick it up several times before handing it back to the officer, who was equipped in full gear.
The Daniels then were asked to participate in a demonstration of the agency's different canine divisions. Specially trained dogs that detect explosives and others used to detect, disrupt, and deter potential threats were on hand.
The weapons lab was next on the tour. The Daniels were shown numerous devices that Secret Service agents and uniformed officers use in their duties, as well as others they need to look for when screening guests at the White House and elsewhere.
Then, it was back to the driving pad. DJ rode in the passenger seat as a trained Secret Service driver performed fast-paced maneuvers. When it was over, DJ had a request — do it again!
“That was fun,” DJ Daniel said. “I wasn’t expecting that car to be that fast.”
The final stop was the Secret Service’s Civil Disturbance Unit, where several non-lethal weapons were displayed. DJ fired a stun gun and sprayed several devices meant to disperse a hostile crowd.
Nearly every unit DJ visited gave him T-shirts, stickers, plush animals, and enough challenge coins to make even the most dedicated collector envious. In return, the 13-year-old law enforcement enthusiast offered countless handshakes and hugs. He even rubbed a few bald heads for good luck.
At the end of the day, DJ reflected on his diagnosis. He spoke about his deep connection to a higher power and the power of positive thinking.
“I have a message for kids who have cancer,” he said. “Have faith. Believe in God. Listen to your parents.”