THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, May 24, 1995 TAG: 9505250679
SECTION: SPECIAL PAGE: S1 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Supplement
SOURCE: By TRACIE LIGUID, Staff writer
DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE LENGTH: Medium: 81 lines
For Lance Atlas Roy, high school has been a furious adventure filled with advanced classes, animated lunchtime conversations with friends and faculty members and even after-school sessions knocking down pins at a bowling center.
But the schedule is paying off. Depending his final grades in this year's regimen of advanced subjects, he will be entering Florida State University just one credit short of sophomore status.
The 18-year-old student at Great Bridge High School is the winner of a $5,000 scholarship awarded by the Scholastic Achievement program of The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star.
Chosen among the top high school seniors from South Hampton Roads, the Eastern Shore and Northeastern North Carolina, Roy graduates as class valedictorian next month with a 4.525 grade point average and a combined score of 1510 on the Scholastic Aptitude Test.
Roy dedicated most of the year to an academic load of five advanced placement courses (government, chemistry, biology, calculus and Latin), honors English and band. Roy hopes to complete his Florida State undergraduate work within three years, or in four years with a double major in biology and chemistry. Either way, he will participate in the university's honors program and then attend medical school.
Episodes of the daytime soap opera, ``General Hospital,'' inspired then elementary-aged Roy, who watched the show with the same attentiveness as his mother, Charlotte Mizelle, to pursue a career in the medicine.
Supported by his ambitious nature and competitiveness, Roy's intentions are clear. ``People who work hard, self-made people, are who I admire. I guess it's like the American dream, working from a lower class to a higher status. Anyone who does that is successful.''
Roy's dedication to hard work doesn't occupy all of his time.
``Whether it's cards or bowling or in the classroom, '' said Dr. Jill Losee-Hehlein, advanced placement biology teacher and Roy's mentor, ``Lance wants to be number one. Some people are satisfied with 98; he just is not.''
Losee-Hehlein, who is also a professor at St. Leo's College, routinely asks students to lead a class discussion or lecture. Yet she remarks on Roy's eagerness and ability. When preparing a lecture on evolution, she remembered an extensive conversation on the subject with Roy, who had attended the Governor's School for the sciences last summer.
``I thought, why am I teaching this? He knows more on the subject than I do! I called him at 9:30 the night before and he said, `Sure!' He brought in diagrams, texts and other information for the next class.'''
When he is not reading the assigned chapter of biology or physics, heading the academic challenge team or practicing his alto saxophone with the jazz band, Roy may be found at Chesapeake Pinboys.
``Bowling is the big thing, after family and school,'' said Roy, worrying a bit how his girlfriend might react to his priority list.
He stepped down as team captain after five seasons to allow time for his senior year activities. Instead, he carried the responsibilities of league secretary and treasurer.
Working around a schedule of five study hours after dinner during the week and all day after church on Sundays, Roy maintained a 175-pin average, despite an unrelated foot injury which kept him from practicing for six weeks back during the winter.
During the bowling season, from September to May, Roy usually managed three hours of practice three or four days a week.
Now he is devoted to armchair sports, like the NBA playoffs, hockey and baseball league games.
Roy's scholarships so far total $51,000, including winnings from Florida State University and the International Order of Foresters. MEMO: [This special section was scheduled to run Tuesday, May 23, 1995. Do to
an error, the publication was inserted in THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT and THE
LEDGER-STAR on Wednesday, May 24, 1995.]
ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by Peter D. Sundberg
Lance Atlas Roy will soon leave Great Bridge High School to attend
Florida State University.
KEYWORDS: SUPPLEMENT SPECIAL SECTION by CNB