Miami Northwestern Senior High is a school that is nationally known for producing some of the best football players and football teams in the country on a yearly basis. This year, the school has produced one of the best all-around scholars in the country in George Pickens. He is not only the top ranked academic student in the school, but he is also actively involved in extra-curricular leadership roles.
There is an old adage that says, “success leaves clues”. The tremendous academic success of George Pickens has left enough clues to formulate a playbook for others to follow. George’s playbook is special because he has been able to execute in an environment that places an extreme value on young Black males’ ability to perform on the football field, but not nearly as much in their ability to excel in other areas.
Listed below are seven college readiness plays that George has implemented and are potentially scalable for broader populations of students:
Students should set goals and review them on a daily basis
George said that the first thing that he does when he wakes up in the morning is look at his goals and a vision board that he has made. He looks at both his short-term goals and his long-term goals. This allows him to visualize what he wants to achieve and increases the belief in his ability bring it into fruition.
Guiding and even requiring students formulate and review their goals will increase their focus and help them to see how their daily coursework connects to their broader aspirations. Training students to begin their days by looking within and making investments in their internal development is sure to pay dividends in the form of building the mental and spiritual strength to help them to overcome adversity and to persist in spite of challenges.
The elevation of academic achievement is key
