![\"IMG_7554\"](\"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/IMG_7554.jpg\")
<\/a>It was his counselor, Timothy Gamble, who saw his potential as an incoming freshman and put him in the school\u2019s Early Scholars program. Then, later, Gamble combined forces with Mikel\u2019s mother to get him to take a more rigorous course load.<\/p>\n\u201cThey kind of tag-teamed me and pushed me into AP courses,\u201d Lawrence said. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t have done it without them.\u201d<\/p>\n
As a senior, he still regularly visits his former teachers. In fact, he asked his social studies teacher from his freshman year to write his letters of recommendation for college.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe teachers, just their attitude to their students, I was blessed to have (them),\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s something good to take away from school \u2013 beyond just an education.\u201d<\/p>\n
Although, Mikel is also proud of the opportunities his education is providing him.<\/p>\n
As a freshman, he did well in his core classes and enjoyed the ease with which he handled his coursework.<\/p>\n
Then, came the tag-team.<\/p>\n
Mikel ended up relenting and, in his sophomore year, signed up for his first (of many) AP courses.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt hit me: This isn\u2019t as easy as regular core classes,\u201d he said. \u201cI had to come home and study for quizzes and tests.\u201d<\/p>\n
But it was well worth it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like when you really have to work for (something), when you get that accomplishment, it feels better than when you\u2019re breezing through it,\u201d Mikel said.<\/p>\n
This year, specifically, Mikel was dealt a whole new set of circumstances that he would have to work through.<\/p>\n
After experiencing sleeping trouble at the beginning of the school year, Mikel went to the doctor\u2019s office, where he was diagnosed with diabetes. On top of balancing a rigorous academic course load, applying to colleges and keeping up his conditioning for his soccer season, Mikel now had to set up a new diet regimen and new routine, including checking his blood throughout the day to monitor his sugar levels.<\/p>\n
However, Mikel took even this new change in stride.<\/p>\n
\u201cI won\u2019t call it an obstacle because it\u2019s not keeping me from doing what I really want to do in life,\u201d Mikel said. \u201cI\u2019ll just say it\u2019s a hurdle.\u201d<\/p>\n
This optimistic attitude is just one of the attributes that school leaders say they have observed in working with Mikel.<\/p>\n
\u201cLawrence is a tremendously motivated young man who is an exemplary role model for students at Green Run High School,\u201d said Green Run principal Todd Tarkenton. \u201cLawrence is one who leads by example (and) he represents all that is good and wonderful in Stallion Country.\u201d<\/p>\n
As Mikel looks to the future, he is seriously considering the field of engineering. Until graduation comes, though, Mikel remains resolved to push himself \u2013 and his classmates at Green Run \u2013 as hard as possible.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not so much where you go to school; it\u2019s your attitude going in to school,\u201d Mikel said. \u201cI came in looking to bring my dreams to life and that\u2019s what\u2019s going to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n
Q&A<\/strong><\/p>\nWhat\u2019s the last book you read?<\/em> The Scarlet Letter<\/p>\nWhat\u2019s your favorite TV show?<\/em> Ridiculousness<\/p>\nWhat\u2019s your best study tip?<\/em> You have to find a study method that works for you.<\/p>\nWho is your favorite President?<\/em> Obama. He brought about a shift in the way America sees itself.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Sometimes the one piece of advice you get proves to be the one to ignore. More than six years ago, the Mikel family was stationed in Florida. They had received […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[24,36],"class_list":["post-3415","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-compass-keepers","tag-green-run-high"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3415","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3415"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3415\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3475,"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3415\/revisions\/3475"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3415"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3415"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3415"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}