Senior Spotlights

For Cameron Long, high school rarely slowed down. Between varsity basketball, dual credit classes, SAT prep, and a pharmacy technician certification program, the Young Men’s Leadership Academy senior built his days around constant motion.

“I was always busy,” Long said with a laugh.

That work ethic paid off in a major way. Long will attend Texas Christian University this fall on a full academic scholarship, where he plans to study sports medicine. For him, the opportunity represents more than academic success — it is the reward for years of discipline and the chance to begin college without the burden of debt.

“One thing that I’m very afraid of is debt,” Long said. “I didn’t want to put that on my mom or dad, or myself. So getting a full ride was huge.”

Sports shaped much of Long’s high school experience. A multi-sport athlete who earned first-team all-district honors in basketball, he says athletics inspired his goal of becoming an athletic trainer. That interest also pushed him into a pharmacy technician certification program through CVS, where he gained hands-on medical experience and eventually earned his certification.

Balancing everything wasn’t something he did alone. Long credits his mother as one of his biggest sources of support, helping him stay organized through demanding schedules and keeping him on track when things got overwhelming.

Along the way, Long also took advantage of YMLA’s associate degree pathway, earning college credit while still in high school. Part of the first class to be offered the experience, it helped prepare him for the rigor of college coursework.

Now, as graduation approaches, Long hopes younger students take advantage of every opportunity available to them. As he prepares for life at TCU, he says the biggest lesson he learned at the YMLA was simple: keep pushing forward, even when things get difficult.