The Exchange Club of Lake Highlands presented Mike Gaston, Director of the mentor program at Lake Highlands High School, this quarters Unsung Hero Award. The club recognizes individuals in the Lake Highlands area throughout the year who have made a positive impact on the community.

During the past school year, Mr. Gaston developed a new mentoring model process at Lake Highlands High School that empowered students to resolve problems that were preventing them from being successful.  He devoted many hours each week, providing the necessary resources that helped students solve those problems.  Mr. Gaston reached success with the financial and business support of the Exchange Club, area businesses and his personal physician, Eric Yun.

            Mr. Gaston, who works in systems engineering for Boeing in Dallas, located guest speakers and experts throughout the year who helped the students.  One recent issue was developing the proper skills to take the state mandated achievement examinations.  Mr. Gaston located an expert who developed a test-taking workshop for the students.  The students then took responsibility for attending the workshop and applying their new test taking skills.  Inspirational speakers were also provided for the meetings. The overall focus of the club, however, is to help the students develop critical thinking skills so they can take steps to make positive changes in their lives.

            The first year of E=MC ? at Lake Highlands High School was a great success, with membership fluctuating between 40 and 60 students.  Every student in the club earned a good citizenship rating in behavior at school, grades improved, and every club leader earned at least one college scholarship. A second E=MC ? chapter is planned for the 2007 2008 school year at Berkner High School with Gerald Bright from Walker, Bright & Lewis, P.C. law firm as Director and Johnny Anderson from Invesco as the acting Director.             

A two-year member of the Exchange Club, Mr. Gaston has been a Lake Highlands resident since 1999.  He is married to his wife, Lana, and has two children, Malaika Gaston who attends Watkins at Columbia University in St. Louis, Missouri and Tony Jr. who is a junior at UT Austin.  

The Exchange Club was honored to present Mike Gaston with this award and an engraved plaque to commemorate this special event.