Darien McClung was born and raised in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains in a city called Asheville, North Carolina. Between her blended family moving around a lot and growing up with over 20 cousins, she quickly became a professional at making friends and adjusting to new environments with ease. Maybe that is why she is not afraid of trying new things.

In the 8th grade, she learned of a new program created that allowed students in high school to achieve their diploma and their associate degree simultaneously. This program was called Early College, and she was more than eager to participate! So much so that she graduated early, and at the age of 17, Darien met that goal!

After graduation, Darien became a missionary in Thailand, where she served in a home for children rescued from trafficking and abuse. She learned how to adapt to new cultures and observed new ways of problem-solving through this new lens. She was exceptionally proud of her work in counseling young children and seeing their childlike wonder restored to them after such intense experiences.

Once her visa expired, Darien returned to Asheville and was employed by Mission Hospital. Before long, Darien decided to move to the inner-city of San Francisco, where she worked for a few years leading mission teams and co-leading a leadership school for young adults. Because she lived in the city's heart, she developed friendships with people of various backgrounds, including; homeless adults, addicts, businesspeople, immigrants, students, single parents, tourists, and many other culturally diverse individuals.

To broaden her cultural experience even more, she sought employment with a non-profit called Crazy Love Ministries. In the role, she worked as a personal assistant to a New York Times Best-Selling Author Francis Chan, mentored young women coming out of addiction, and managed a cafe that focused on providing job skills training to men and women who were recovering from addiction.