He walks the hallways of Monroe, Louisiana’s Carroll High School in his ROTC uniform just like any other student, but Michael Davis is no where close to ordinary. In fact, he’s setting the standard for youth, especially young men in Northeast Louisiana.

The senior ROTC student will be starting the next chapter of his life as he becomes the first African American in the Twin Cities area to attend the country’s most prestige military academy: West Point.

“It’s nice to be the first to do something but, I didn’t get here by myself,” Davis says humbly.

Michael is very close to his grandmother, who raised him since the age of seven. People that know him the most say Michael strives for greatness in every realm.

“He’s always focused, but at the same time, he knows how to get involved, to lead. He has it as a leader, and a leader is me is someone who cares,” explains ROTC Commander Lieutenant Don Tatum. He does just that while balancing several activities.

The Chicago native is Student Body President, member of Carroll’s track team, the National Honor Society, Boy Scouts Patrol Leader, and Orchestra while boasting a perfect 4.0 GPA since his freshman year. His accomplishment are not just his own.

To Michael, he’s doing what he does best and paving the way.

“To be the first African American from Monroe to do so, that is great and as you know West Point has a long history. We even have a junior high school, Robert E. Lee in Monroe named after one of the graduates from there. I rank Michael right up there with Robert E. Lee at this point,” said Lt.. Tatum about his star student.

Michael plans to major in natural sciences at West Point this fall and plans to become a doctor, a fitting occupation for a young man that truly wants to help and pay it forward.

“Anybody I can help and get to the point where I got to, if I can help get to the doorway as much as people have helped me before I think I’ll do my best to try,” he says.