Staff Writer
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| Lockamy confers with Coach Thomas |
Last
month, Apex High School senior Jason Lockamy was awarded the WRAL Extra Effort
Award, an accolade given to one student athlete each week who excels not only
on the playing field but in the classroom and in the community as well. “It
feels pretty good being recognized for my accomplishments,” said Lockamy.
Not
only is Lockamy a standout defensive end for the Apex football team, he is also
a member of the National Honor Society, the National Technical Honor Society,
and is an Apex High School A/B honor roll student. “He’s very conscientious, a
hard worker, and he wants to learn. He wants to learn not just for the grade,
he wants to gain knowledge,” said Apex history teacher Gregg Thomas. Due to his
academic achievement, Lockamy has received interest from prestigious colleges
such as Harvard and Princeton. “A lot of schools have shown interest,”
explained Lockamy, “UNC, Holy Cross, and Yale among others have shown interest.
Harvard and Princeton are definitely my top two right now.”
Aside
from his academic success, Lockamy also plays a leading role in the community.
He participates in an organization called Shoes for Liberia, a group that helps
provide shoes for underprivileged citizens in Liberia. Lockamy is the State Director
for the organization and in 2012 he was nominated as Student Ambassador of the
Year for Shoes for Liberia. Last year, he was one of ten students from the
Southeast who received the Community Captain award from the Carolina Panthers for
his achievements.
Lockamy
does not believe that being honored in one area is more satisfying then being
honored in another. “They [athletics, academics, and outreach] are all equally
important. I think they are all important in life on defining who I am, who I
have become, and who I will be.”
Lockamy
says he has two distinct role models that he looks up to in his life. When it
comes to football, Lockamy admires former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray
Lewis. “Ray faced so much adversity each day, and the way he handled it is very
influential and inspiring,” said Lockamy. But perhaps the most influential
figure in Lockamy’s life is his mother. “She always pushes me to do great
things both on and off the field,” he explained, “Her raising me has been very
helpful.” Lockamy says that he calls his mom his “momager,” which means that
she is part mom and part manager. “She helps me through it all, and as I move
along in my career she will always be my manager, and she will continue to
inspire me in the future.”
