Clarke Central High School freshman Michael Campbell is drawn posing with a baseball bat. Michael has played sports from a young age and is currently on the CCHS JV football team and freshman baseball team. “I’ve played football forever,” Michael said. “I like to play it, but I don’t like it as much as baseball. I can’t let go of it though because I’ve been playing it for so long.” Illustration by Lilli Sams
Clarke Central High School freshman Michael Campbell isn’t your ordinary freshman. He sees the good in people and wants to help those around him however he can.
He’s different. And he’s proud of that.
Clarke Central High School freshman Michael Campbell stands out when compared to his peers. He’s selfless. He sees the good in people and devotes his life to making others happy.
Michael plays for both the freshman baseball team and the junior varsity football team for CCHS. Although he prides himself in his athleticism, he doesn’t want to just be known as the star athlete. He’s more than that.
Michael is a singer, a dancer, he plays trombone in the CCHS band, is in JROTC, is involved with Gifted Minorities Achieving and more.
“He wants to be a friend to everyone and give his help when someone is in need.”
However, unlike the majority of students that participate in extracurriculars to build their resume or because their parents make them, Michael does it to make genuine connections with people.
He wants to be a friend to everyone and give his help when someone is in need.
“(Michael is) my nurturer if you will. He’s very observant to what someone needs and he generally will go get it without someone asking. He’s just a giver,” Michael’s mother Christy Campbell said.
It’s no secret that Michael is a people person. His parents and his childhood allowed him to develop into the person he is today. His story started years ago when he moved to Athens at a young age.
“I’ve been in Athens since I was a kid. I lived in Royston, (GA), and then we moved to Athens when I was two months old. My mom’s from Louisiana and my dad went to Clarke Central,” Michael said.
Growing up in Athens, Michael tried to participate in every club, sport and activity possible. This allowed him to discover his first passion: baseball.
“I started playing baseball when I was five. My dad played college baseball and he played baseball here (at CCHS). So it’s kind of just an ongoing tradition,” Michael said. “I think I really started loving it three, four years ago. That’s when I was pitching and catching and different things like that. The more I played, the more fun I had and the more experience I got.”
Although baseball was his favorite sport to play, Michael also began pursuing an interest in football.
“I started playing football when I was three (or) four. I’ve played football (for) forever. I like to play it, but I don’t like it as much as baseball,” Michael said.
CCHS sophomore Lily Meyers, a friend of Michael, thinks that no matter what Michael participates in, he will give it his all.
“I don’t know much about what he does outside of school other than sports and JROTC, but he does what he enjoys, and if he does something, he doesn’t half-ass things. He does everything fully,” Meyers said.
“I don’t know much about what he does outside of school other than sports and JROTC, but he does what he enjoys, and if he does something, he doesn’t half-ass things. He does everything fully.”
— Lily Meyers,
CCHS sophomore
Michael doesn’t just work hard for sports and clubs, but he also makes sure to put in the effort to maintain his grades.
“(Schoolwork) is very important to me. My parents pushed that extremely hard on me and my brothers and my sister, but I love it. I love the hard work, I love the push,” Michael said.
Michael’s parents encourage Michael to participate in both athletics and extracurriculars, but first and foremost requires him to take care of business in the classroom.
“We really put a lot of emphasis on education because we know ultimately you’re going to need that in life,” Christy said. “We are all about student first, athlete second. If you’re not succeeding in the classroom, then you’re not going to do sports.”
As Meyers got to know Michael, she has witnessed his extremely busy schedule but has always seen him put aside time to focus on school.
“As a person, he’s kind of all over the place. He talks to everyone, and he’s here and he’s there. But for school, he works hard at it. I see him in the morning, doing homework and getting extra help. He works hard at what he does,” Meyers said.
CCHS JV football coach Stefan Smith coached Michael this past year and is impressed by his work ethic and a positive mindset.
“He’s a positive energy (and) is always trying to do things the right way. He’s always trying to work to get better. He’s one of those kids that you can count on. I don’t have to worry about him not doing right in school or lying to me about practice or anything. He’s just a great kid, I don’t know how to describe it. He’s the kind of kid you want in your program,” Smith said.
Smith believes that Michael’s curiosity and natural drive allow him to succeed on and off the field, and is part of what makes him so unique.
“He’s always asking questions. I think he’s inquisitive. He wants to make sure he’s doing it right. I think that’s what makes him stand out. He always wants to please the coaches and he doesn’t want to make mistakes,” Smith said.
“Michael’s nice to everyone. He’s always friendly. He’s always smiling. I never see him not laughing or smiling or talking to someone.”
— Lily Meyers,
CCHS sophomore
Although Michael is known throughout CCHS for his involvement in sports and his academic endeavors, Meyers believes his kindness and uniqueness is what really defines him.
“Michael’s nice to everyone. He’s always friendly. He’s always smiling. I never see him not laughing or smiling or talking to someone,” Meyers said. “He likes to lay low. He doesn’t engage with drama and he doesn’t care about being popular or being the coolest. He just kind of goes with the flow.”
Michael also sees his many activities as a platform through which he can make and strengthen relationships.
“You can only know so much from just looking at a person. But once you get to truly know them, that’s when you open up and you become friends and everything starts happening,” Campbell said.
Michael Campbell’s goal is simple: he wants to make others happy. He wakes up every morning intent on spreading joy and caring for those who may be having a hard time.
“I just like to make people happy. I’m the person who would step in front of a bullet for you. That’s me. I love to see happy people,” Campbell said. “A successful day is making someone’s day better than it was yesterday.”
Story by Andrew Robinson
Package by Ireland McCage
