More than 60 colleges want him. More than $1.5 million in scholarship money is on the table. However, for high school senior Mantavius Lebron Presley, the most challenging decision is still ahead: choosing the college or university that will set him on the path to becoming a doctor.
The Douglas County High School standout has spent months juggling school, a part-time job, and a packed schedule of extracurricular activities — all while firing off so many college applications he’s lost count.
Credit: Phil Skinner
Credit: Phil Skinner
As of April 2, he’s been accepted to 63 schools, with 28 offering scholarships. The largest? A $200,000 award.
He’s narrowed his choices to five: Xavier University of Louisiana, Morehouse College, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Howard University, and the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa. All have well-regarded pre-med programs — what he’s aiming for.
“I’ll have a decision on May 1, National Decision Day,” he said.
Lebron is not the first high school senior to amass a large number of college acceptance letters and scholarship offers. Stories often appear at this time of year about a student who has done the same, including one at his school in 2019.
Defying the odds
Born in the small Alabama town of Andalusia, near the Florida line, Lebron’s life got off to a challenging start. He was born at 27 weeks and weighed about 2 pounds. His first three months were spent in the hospital. Doctors told his mom, Chasity Green, he might not be able to walk or speak and could have some developmental disabilities.
Credit: Phil Skinner
Credit: Phil Skinner
But he defied the odds.
“I’ve had no major problems since then,” Lebron said. “God works in mysterious ways.”
He later had two surgeries to remove his tonsils and adenoids, the first when he was about 6. The adenoids grew back, prompting the need for a second surgery when Lebron was in about ninth grade.
“Both times, the anesthesiologist walked me through the process, told me what needed to be done,” Lebron said. “It was just the fact that he was talking to me. Though I was scared, he calmed me down.”
The idea of a career in anesthesiology grew from those encounters. “I have always wanted to help people,” Lebron said.
Lebron has a large extended family that’s always very supportive.
But his mother has been his rock. A devoted fan of NBA legend LeBron James, she named her son Mantavius Lebron Presley, and most people call him Lebron. She also nurtured his ambition.
“She encourages me to do all the amazing things I love,” Lebron said.
Many people see his enthusiasm, including his English teacher, Shannon Jones. She says she will always remember “his infectious zest for life and the positive outlook he sustains in every situation.”
“This makes him a stranger to none,” she said. “He will speak to everyone no matter their station or situation in life, and, when he does his famous laugh, it brings a light to your day.”
Lebron has a long list of commitments at school outside of his studies.
Credit: Phil Skinner
Credit: Phil Skinner
He’s president of his school’s chapters of Future Business Leaders of America and the National Honor Society, vice president of Student Government and the Class of 2025, manager of the junior varsity and varsity cheer teams, a yearbook contributor, and active participant in more than half a dozen other organizations.
Still, he is finishing high school in the top 5% of his class and with a 3.8 grade point average.
His principal, Kenja Parks, jokes that Lebron could open and close the school 365 days a year.
“He’s always here,” she said. “I really believe he has a sofa somewhere in that school.”
Parks describes him as the kind of student every teacher and school administrator dreams of — a leader, a scholar, and a source of inspiration.
“He embodies the spirit of what it means to be all in,” she said. “We don’t do anything at this school that he hasn’t put his stamp on. He’s humble, loving, and kind to everyone. If I could clone him, I would.”
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