He awakens. He pries open his somnolent brown eyes, only to see the sun is still sleeping; he is an hour ahead of that guy; he usually is. He gets ready for another day. He makes a quick bite to eat, sips his energy drink, ties his shoes, kisses his family goodbye and is off to take on another jam-packed day.

Harold Scandrick II has a great deal on his plate, but he doesn’t mind the excess “food,” as he is turning into the man he had always hoped he would be someday.

Scandrick enrolled in Oakland University back in 2011, but shortly after, found himself yearning to join the U.S. Marine Corps. He served his time from 2013 until 2017. Upon returning home, he still “aspired to rise” and decided to continue where he left off at Oakland a few years prior. Declaring a major of criminal justice with a concentration in homeland security, he plans on graduating in 2019.

“I wanted to be someone who made or was a part of change at a college or university and

I could do that at Oakland,” Scandrick said. “I love that most of the class sizes are a little smaller than most big D1 schools.”

Not only is Scandrick taking 12 credits, but he is also raising a family. The 24-year-old is a father to his beloved two-year-old Harold III, and is expecting his second son, Andrew.

“Harold III is always with his mother playing, learning and reading. They have a good time together,” Scandrick said. “Then I come home and he gets excited. We play around and wrestle with each other, then we read some more.”

When Scandrick is not at school or home with his family, he is volunteering in the music department at Pontiac High School. He takes time out of his busy schedule to do this weekly.

“I am able to do it because I have always had the drive to be better than how I came up,” Scandrick said. “So I put in a lot of work to make sure things go the way that I need and want it to go.”

Scandrick also works nights at Somerset Inn in Troy, plays on Oakland University’s club football team and is a mentor at Max Out Fitness in Pontiac. He explains that he sometimes gets overwhelmed with his crazy schedule, but it is well worth it, as he is gaining a great deal of life experience, which will only make him more marketable to future employers.

He manages his time by doing one thing at a time, and getting the more convenient things out of the way first, then he is able to tackle the more laborious tasks.

It is not very often Scandrick gets a few minutes of free time, but when he does, he enjoys spending his time relaxing with his family and watching movies, or playing football.

“Talking to little Harold, and spending a little time with him gets me through each day,” Scandrick said.

The sun is setting and that’s a sign that Scandrick’s day is almost finished. After the long day, he comes home, visits with his family, brushes his teeth then kisses his family goodnight. Tomorrow is sneaking up on him and he needs to rest his somnolent brown eyes.

Pick & Choose With Harold II:

– NFL or MLB? NFL

– Cookies or cupcakes? Cookies

– Sprite or Seven-Up? Seven up

– Gatorade or Powerade? Gatorade

– Subway or Jimmy John’s? Subway

– Scary movies or Action movies? Action movies