WS Chronicle

A Renaissance man is defined as a person with many talents or areas of knowledge. While he may not be a painter or sculptor like Leonardo da Vinci or Michelangelo, the names most people connect with the term, Atkins High School senior shooting guard Trey Baker is a prime example of a modern-day “renaissance man.”

As a captain on a young team, Baker led the Camels to two consecutive 18-win seasons and appearances in the state playoffs. He is also a member of the track team, National Honor Society, and all-county band.

And did I mention he currently has a 4.4 GPA? When asked how he’s able to balance it all, Baker said at times it can get hectic, but with careful planning he finds time to do it all.

“It’s defiantly a challenge, but being efficient with my time I’m able to get everything done,” said Baker. “ … I always keep a planner on me so I’m not getting drowned trying to remember stuff.”

In the fall Baker will attend Hampton University where he received a full academic scholarship. He said after visiting the campus, he instantly knew it was where he wanted to go.

“I love water and Hampton is surrounded by water and I loved the campus. It’s beautiful and they have what I want to major in,” Baker said.

Baker said he intends to major in architecture and plans to attend a “pre-college” program at Hampton to get a head start on his degree. As for sports, Baker said he plans to wait until he’s on campus to make a decision. He said, “I’m not sure yet.

“I want to get there and see what it’s like and see what I can handle and what I can’t. But I’m definitely going to at least play intramural, I’m not just going to drop off,” he said.

Marlon Brim, Atkins head basketball coach, said he has seen Baker grow from a “wide-eyed” freshman into a leader on and off the court. Brim said Baker is a prime example of what it means to be a well-rounded student athlete.

“I can see Trey being a CEO of a company or big engineer consultant. I think he has a bright future ahead of him and he has all the tools to make his own path.” Brim said.

Baker said no matter what he decides to do in the future, people are to know his name. He said, “My name is going to be known. No matter what I’m doing, I want to have an impact on my community with whatever I decide to go into, but you’re definitely going to be hearing from me.”