Homework, projects, tests, or simply the blaring alarm that goes off at abominable hours, are enough to scare most students at the prospects of surviving high school. However, the heavy work and demanding requirements have the potential to bring forth the best out of talented students. Lauren Williams is no exception to this.

Williams is well-known for her academic excellence, but there’s more to her than just tremendous grades or test scores. A well-rounded student, Williams has been actively involved in a variety of sports during her high school career, playing basketball and softball her freshman year, softball her sophomore year, and then track last year. She also enjoys Yoga club, having been a part of it since sophomore year.

Another notable aspect of Williams’ life is her singular personality. With her jovial nature and kind disposition, she has maintained strong friendships and made new ones.

“She’s funny without trying, she just does stuff that makes you laugh,” remarked Ellen Kenston, a close friend of Williams. “To be honest, at first I thought she was kind of strange. Our parents had known each other forever so we were kind of automatically friends. But then it ended up working.”

In regard to Williams’ academic drive and competency, her stellar performance in the school environment can be attributed to both her hard work and natural affinity towards education. Her aptitude towards learning and ability to digest information has allowed her to cope with a demanding schedule, composed of six AP classes this year. She specially referenced two classes that have provided more of a challenge than previous ones.

“Physics, both B and C. I think it’s because I’ve never had it before. Math builds, all the Englishes and social studies build, but physics was new and hard,” said Williams.

Above everything else is Williams’ incredible work ethic. Recognized as a student of impressive caliber, her thoughtful and cognitive contributions in class have distinguished her as a skillful and diligent learner, one whom both teachers and fellow classmates appreciate. Whether the quality of her homework or the accuracy on her exams, she continually astounds teachers with the high standard of excellence she places on the material presented in class.

“Oh my gosh. It seems to me sometimes like Lauren must spend hours on her homework because it’s done so methodically,” noted Ms. Dyan Naslund, Lauren’s AP Literature teacher.

Although quiet and more reserved than other students,Williams certainly has achieved a handful in her four years of high school. Since her selection junior year, she’s been a part of the National Honor Society, an organization that identifies accomplished students and opens up doors for scholarships. Along with four other students from Libertyville High School, Williams was announced as a National Merit Semifinalist this fall; only 16,000 semifinalists are chosen in the whole nation.

She was also named a National Achievement Scholar, a recognition that highlights outstanding African American high school students, of which only about 4,700 are honored. Williams’ rare perfect score on the ACT speaks volumes on her strengths as a smart problem solver and thinker, and testifies to her tenacity as an active learner. And yet the word that comes to most when asked about Williams is not smart or genius; it’s humble.

“ Lauren is more introspective, and I think that what makes her unique is that she’s very humble,” stated Ms. Naslund.

It’s not just the academic aspect of Williams that makes her noteworthy; it’s the fact that she’s a positive influence and has a positive impact on the school. Described as kind and polite, Williams exhibits traits that are valued by the school and shared by many students. Her friendships and connections are facilitated by her easygoing outlook on life and her down-to-earth perspective.

“I just think she’s been a good friend to have for a long time. Even though sometimes we don’t do as much together, we still always come back to each other. It’s nice, we just pick up where we left off,” reflected Kenston.

Her overall persona cannot be defined by one word or multiple achievements, but they can shed a bit of light on the type of person she is and the type of principles she lives by. Undoubtedly, there is  a brilliance in humility as much as there is an astonishing awareness of talent when it comes to Lauren Williams. Her dynamic and modest personality, alongside her academic pursuits, come together to mark her as an individual, who in her immense erudition retains a degree of humility that matches her intellect.