At the age of 17, Corey Lawrence enrolled at Florida A&M University with a minor in Spanish and a major in math and physics.
His admission comes after his brother, Curtis Lawrence III, became the university’s youngest first-year student in history a few years earlier, at the age of 16.
Explaining his motivation to become an astrophysicist one day, Corey told the Tallahassee Democrat, “When I was a little kid, I really liked astronauts, space and the stars. 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.”
Corey completed some of his coursework early, much like his brother, and obtained an associate’s degree before earning his high school diploma. Corey comes from an educationally inclined household. His mother is a learning specialist and enrichment coach, while his father is the principal of the IDEA Public School campus in Jacksonville.
Before enrolling at FAMU, Corey received almost $900,000 in scholarships. He was accepted into several universities, including Howard University, Morehouse College, and North Carolina A&T State University.
His decision to attend FAMU was largely influenced by his older brother, who is currently 19 years old and a third-year biology major with a Mandarin minor.
FAMU’s Vice President for Student Affairs, William E. Hudson Jr., told the outlet, “It’s always great to be able to attract students of that caliber. 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.”
Curtis and Corey Lawrence, the Lawrence brothers, hang out together in college frequently. The latter expressed interest in FAMU’s social events, such as the recent homecoming celebrations and the Battle of the Bands.
Their proud father said of the two, “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. Just to see that both of my sons are rocking it out and doing very well makes me extremely proud.”
