San Jacinto College dual credit graduate Lucas Williams is on a fast track to becoming a successful attorney at a young age.

At 20, Williams is the youngest student at the Southern Methodist University (SMU) Dedman School of Law in Dallas. He is on course to earn a Juris Doctor degree in law from SMU at the ripe old age of 22.

His ultimate career goal is to start his own law practice and work as a “self-employed” attorney. “People are great, but being my own boss would be even better,” the young man quipped.

Traversing so much educational territory in such a short time requires a lot of determination and discipline. Williams said he got a great start at San Jacinto College.

“San Jacinto did a wonderful job of preparing me for university,” he commented. “The most critical thing a student needs at a university is time management, and I learned how to manage my time efficiently as a student at San Jacinto College.”

Williams, who hails from Crosby, attended San Jacinto College North and Crosby High School concurrently as a dual credit student in the College’s Modified Early College Academy (MECA) program. He earned an associate degree in general studies from San Jacinto College in 2010, when he was 17, and at the same time received his high school diploma from Crosby High School. “I had to work hard and apply myself,” he said, concerning taking high school and college courses simultaneously. “It was not easy. If it were easy though, anybody could do it.”

Here’s a sample of his daily schedule as a dual credit MECA student:

•  7 a.m. to 9:50 a.m. – classes at San Jacinto College
•  10:20 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. – classes at Crosby High School
•  2:45 p.m. to 4 p.m. – after-school activities (he was captain of the high school’s air rifle team)
• 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. – work at San Jacinto College as a student tutor in history and government

“Every day was a 13-hour day, and that does not take into account homework or commuting to and from the two schools,” Williams remarked. “Like I said, it was not easy, but it prepared me well for university because I learned how to manage my time.”

San Jacinto College graduate Lucas Williams is shown with relatives on Mother’s Day. The group includes, from left (front row): Williams, his grandmother Martha Williams, and cousin Blake Williams; (back row): cousin Dalton Washington, Darren Williams (Lucas’ father), and Andy Williams (Lucas’ uncle).

At San Jacinto College, his favorite professor was Dr. Dianne Heafer. “She really piqued my interest in history,” Williams said. “She is a wonderful history professor and went out of her way to help me. In fact, once she learned of my passion for history, she gave my two books – one on the history of West Point, and the other about World War I. I still have both on my bookshelf.”

Williams also got valuable work experience at San Jacinto College, working as a new student orientation leader, and as a tutor. “Since I am paying for a lot of my college, that work experience taught me a lot about managing finances,” he said.

From San Jacinto College, he transferred to Texas A&M University, earning a bachelor’s in history in 2012 at the age of 19. He then received a scholarship to attend SMU’s Dedman School of Law, which is where he plans to earn a law degree in 2015. He became interested in law because of his desire to help people. “I could have attended graduate school and studied history, a subject I really love, but I felt like I could make more of a positive difference as an attorney,” Williams commented. “In fact, this summer I will intern for a public interest law firm in Dallas that provides legal help to people who cannot afford it.”

San Jacinto College North’s dual credit director Jennifer Mowdy says Williams is an ideal role model for young people. “He’s always helpful, always has a positive attitude, and shows responsibility beyond his years,” she said. “Lucas is a hard worker, has initiative, and stays focused on goals. He definitely is a good example, not just for young people, but for people of all ages.”

Williams’ advice to high school students about to strike out on their own is to work hard and ignore naysayers. “Be dedicated and know what you want,” he remarked. “I had more than a few doubters when I said I would graduate from Texas A&M at 19 and would get accepted by a law school. It did not matter what anybody said. I knew what I wanted, and I was going to achieve it. Believe in yourself, work hard, and you’ll be surprised at just how much you can accomplish.”

Rob Vanya