Senior Gabriel Burns lives at home with his mother and sister. When I interviewed Burns, I expected him to tell me it was tough being the only boy in the house.

Surprisingly, he said otherwise.

“My mom and sister are the two most important people in my life,” Burns said.

Burns has two tattoos, one of his mother’s name and the other of his sister’s. Burns said that the tattoos are more than just ink in his skin.

“It is a representation of the love I have for my mother and my little sister,” Burns said, “because without them, I know I would not be the man I am today.”

I talked to a few of Burns’ friends, and most of them described him as funny, outgoing, and responsible.

Burns said that he is proud to have these great characteristics.

Whenever Burns is not at home with his sister or mother, he is at the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Flint. While there, he is usually doing one of two things: playing basketball or volunteering.

Burns is very passionate about sports.

“Basketball is more than a sport to me,” Burns said. “Whenever I’m playing pick-up basketball, it allows me to be free, lets me clear my head of all things, and it gives me time to just focus on scoring the next point.”

Burns has been actively volunteering since the age of 12.

When I asked Burns about volunteering, he said, “Why not help if you’re able to? Whether or not it’s a food drive, helping at the soup kitchen, or just helping around at the (Boys and Girls) club, just knowing that I helped somebody brightens my day.”

Burns has a positive outlook on where he sees himself in a decade.

“In 10 years I see myself practicing sports medicine,” Burns said. “I see myself doing this because it combines my two loves of helping people and sports into one.”

When I asked about a favorite quote, Burns immediately said, “I don’t set out to be different, I just set out to be me,” which is a quote from Lil Wayne.

That quote appropriately describes Burns’ unique hairstyle. It is not every day that you find a 17-year-old with black and brown dreads.

“I wanted a hairstyle that makes me myself,” Burns said.” And I found that getting my hair dreaded would be the perfect way to accomplish that.”