‘Icing on the cake’: FAMU student Corey Lawrence follows brother's footsteps

Corey Lawrence, one of this semester’s newest Florida A&M University Rattlers, is following in the footsteps of his older brother — third-year student Curtis Lawrence III, the youngest freshman student in FAMU history a couple years ago.

But make no mistake: Corey is blazing his own trial. While Curtis wants to be a paleontologist, Corey’s dream is to be an astrophysicist.

“When I was a little kid, I really liked astronauts, space and the stars,” said New York native Corey, 17, who is double majoring in physics and math with a minor in Spanish. “Where we used to live, we could see a lot of stars and constellations in great detail in the night sky. That kind of love I had for space was nurtured at a young age, and that's why I've always loved astronomy.”

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During Corey’s early college journey, he became the second youngest student to enter George Washington University at age 15, after Curtis enrolled at age 14.

He also earned his associate's degree before graduating from School Without Walls High School in Washington, D.C.

But the early success was nothing new for Corey since he has always gone through school at an accelerated level, skipping the second grade as a child.

Corey and Curtis’s father Curtis Lawrence Jr., a principal of the IDEA Public School campus in Jacksonville, and mother Malene Lawrence, an enrichment coach and learning specialist, instilled the value of education into their sons at a young age.

“It feels great to see that they take education seriously without us overlooking their shoulders — especially in a society where, too often, Black boys aren't associated with high grades and being biology or physics majors,” Curtis Lawrence Jr. said. “Just to see that both of my sons are rocking it out and doing very well makes me extremely proud.”

Corey amassed over $900,000 in scholarship money before becoming a Rattler, which includes his full ride of academic scholarships to FAMU, and he received acceptances to several colleges and universities across the nation — including Howard University, Morehouse College, North Carolina A&T State University, Hampton University, Virginia Tech and George Washington University.

Although FAMU was not Corey’s first choice, his exposure to the university’s environment after Curtis started attending the HBCU (historically Black college or university) gave him another competing option to consider.

“Initially it was going to be Hampton University,” Curtis Lawrence Jr. said. “But because he got to visit Tallahassee, visit campus, sit in the physics classes, go to the observatory and witness his older brother — who he loves — be there, he made that switch and made FAMU his first choice.”

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FAMU's Vice President for Student Affairs William E. Hudson Jr. says it's a tribute to the history of the university to bring in the "best and brightest" students.

"It's always great to be able to attract students of that caliber," Hudson said. "He could have gone to any institution in the United States. It's truly a testament to the hard work of our faculty, staff, students and alumni to continue the legacy of FAMU."

Corey has been on five to six FAMU tours before enrolling into the university, and his mother played a significant role behind the scenes to make that happen.

She had a “personal two-year strategic plan” for getting Corey interested in the university after Curtis’s enrollment in fall 2021, and she also serves as a parent ambassador for admissions, recruiting for FAMU.

“Having them both on the Hill seals the deal,” Malene Lawrence said. “It's like the icing on the cake for our family.”

Curtis says he enjoys having Corey on campus with him since they have a close relationship with each other.

The brothers usually hang out at FAMU’s dining facilities for lunch or in the common areas of FAMU’s Polkinghorne Village East, where they live on different floors.

“Sometimes I’ll give him different tips to try to guide him, especially since this is his first semester on campus,”  said 19-year-old Curtis, a third-year student majoring in biology with a minor in Mandarin who is also attending FAMU on a full ride of academic scholarships. “But he doesn’t need a lot of guidance since he knows what to do.”

Although the brothers share interests in STEM as well as the Afro-Brazilian martial art Capoiera, Corey also loves cooking, running for fun, working out and playing the guitar.

His parents say he’s a “social butterfly.”

“Curtis is quiet and reserved, but Corey is the complete opposite,” Malene Lawrence said. “His personality is so outgoing. If you see him, his smile just lights up a room.”

During Corey’s time as a FAMU Rattler, he says his highlights so far have been the university’s annual homecoming festivities and the Florida Classic weekend in Orlando, where he recently attended the Battle of the Bands event and the football rivalry game between FAMU and Bethune-Cookman University.

In spite of having a junior status as a first-year student at FAMU, Corey says he plans on staying all four years to get the full HBCU experience.

“The community here is amazing for my development,” Corey said.

Contact Tarah Jean at tjean@tallahassee.com or follow her on twitter @tarahjean_.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU freshman Corey Lawrence follows in his big brother's footsteps