William Mlekush wakes up each morning with a drive unmatched by most high school students.

Starting off his day with a vegan breakfast, Mlekush makes his commute to school, sometimes all the way from Norman.

His day consists of two advanced Math courses, Calculus AB and Statistics, with the addition of Anatomy/Physiology, Advanced Debate, and his other core classes. After school, Mlekush leads the calisthenics club.

Additionally, Mlekush pursues his passion of piano, practices of which usually last until 7pm and occur throughout the week. On days he is not practicing piano or leading calisthenics club, he works until 6pm at Discount Tire, where he recently received a promotion after working there only three months.  Once home, he transitions between working out, preparing his vegan meals and practicing piano. This seemingly stressful and busy schedule is a life Mlekush embraces.

“I wake up each day with the knowledge that I have an excessive amount of things to do each day that I don’t want to do and the acceptance that some of them will not get done. The following day I get the things done I didn’t the day before, until one day I am able to start doing what I want to,” he said.

Mlekush carefully strengthens his body and his mind, creating advantages for himself that are vital in his life pursuits.

Last year Mlekush scored a 33 on his ACT and a 5 on his AP Euro Test as a sophomore. Achievements like this are not uncommon in Mlekush’s life as he excels both intellectually and physically.

Unfortunately, such a strenuous life comes with its repercussions.

In the past years, Mlekush has repeatedly torn and permanently weakened the meniscus of his left knee. Additionally, he separated the growth plate in his left wrist. These devastating injuries took away two of his passions: track and basketball.

“Some days I just come home and lay in my bed staring at the wall. I don’t touch my phone, I don’t do anything. I just need rest,” he said.

Looking back, Mlekush attributes his success to discipline, which he said began developing in seventh grade.

Mlekush strives to be a personal trainer, helping others pursue holistic health. In this profession, his selflessness and willingness to help others will be helpful. In language, he would like to further his writing skills and become polylingual. His goal is to learn Russian, French, Mandarin Chinese, Hindi and German. In mathematics, Mlekush desires to continue his path onto higher and higher courses. In music, he would like to become a hired pianist.

“Successful people do what they have to do whether they feel like it or not.”