Auburn student survives shooting, credits positive mindset for achieving Illinois academic award
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Calvin McGee survived a shooting when he was 15, but didn't let that derail his academic pursuits. Now, the Auburn High School senior is receiving an Outstanding Student Award from the State of Illinois, and he says it's his mindset that allowed him to excel in the classroom.
McGee was one of six students across the state to be awarded the Illinois Coalition for Education At-Risk Youth's (ICEARY) Outstanding Student Award.
'I had a lot of challenges that I had to overcome. Me being shot, yeah me being shot. I had to step back from that. That definitely changed my mindset,' he said after receiving the award on Wednesday.
When he was 15, McGee was shot while protecting his infant nephew when gunfire peppered his home.
His mother was also injured in the shooting and was left unable to work.
McGee took on a job in addition to his school studies but said he refused to let his other obligations slow him down.
'I went through depression, back when I got shot, and it made me step back and it made me think like, 'I can't be here forever. Everything that happened to me happened to me for a reason, so I can't really live it off the bad. I got to learn how to prepare for the future from that situation,'' he said.
Assistant Principal Nicole Brady nominated him after learning of his story and his survival.
'Calvin's a quiet leader. He's going to lead from the middle. He's going to do what he needs to do,' Brady said. 'He's a really talented artist. His teachers say he's shown resilience and is a kid that we want others to learn from, to really recognize kids in the state who have overcome hardships and shown resilience.'
Now, he's finishing his studies at Auburn's Creative and Performance Arts Academy, developing a passion for videography.
McGee says he doesn't see himself as a role model, but he does hope younger students who go through similar experiences can learn from him.
'Keep going. It's always light at the end of the tunnel. Just keep going. That's all I can say. Never give up, because I've got a lot of times I would just sit in my room and cry. But, you know, once you do stuff good, good things happen to you,' he said.
McGee said his next goal is to learn two trades, welding and plumbing, by the time he's 22.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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