GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — When Genesis Clark walks down the hall of Southeast Guilford High School, she feels right at home. Her mother, father and aunt all teach and coach sports at the school.

“I’ve had a lot of good people around. I’ve had a good support system,” says Genesis. ” I know most people might not be happy about all of their family working here. But it actually benefited me a lot and it provided me with a lot of good opportunities and connections.”

Her grandfather Rodney Clark,  is somewhat of a legend at Southeast.

Ruthanne McDuffie, Clark’s daughter and Genesis’ mother says they have always been Southeast proud. “He taught here, he coached basketball for 30 some years. So it’s an honor to kind of follow in his footsteps and we know he’s proud of us and super proud of her. So yeah, it’s just family, family everywhere.”

That family connection helped propel Genesis to be the best she can be and excel academically. She says she was dead set on going to North Carolina A&T State University for its Animal Science program since she wants to become a veterinarian.

So, she applied for two scholarships to help her parents pay for school. And she admits to stalking the mail carrier until the news arrived.

“I ran to the mailbox, and I pulled it out and I read it and it told me that I had gotten a major one, I lived kind of speechless and in shock, and I didn’t really know what to do. So, I just called my mom, and I was like, we got it. I did it,” said Genesis.

Genesis won the very prestigious Cheatham-White Scholarship, meaning her entire college experience at NC A&T will be completely paid for.

Her mom says she will always remember that day!

“She called me and I was like, I was in the middle of my Teams meeting and my class and she called me. I was like, ‘what’d you say?’ And I’m like ‘not right now’. And then I said ‘wait a minute. What?’ And then I looked at my kids. I said, ‘I got to go. I got to celebrate my daughter.'”

And celebrate they have, because according to her father Michael McDuffie she has worked hard to get this award.

“It was all her,” he says. “She knew early what she wanted to do and she set herself up for the success that she is having now and she’s going to have later on.”

And since both her parents and aunt are educators, they can use Genesis’s story as an example for their students to follow.

“From day one, I knew that she was capable of doing whatever she wanted to do. And so ever since she’s been young, she’s loved veterinary medicine,” Michael said.

While her hard work has paid off so far, Gensis knows there is more of that to come. But she’s ready!

“I’m kind of eager to get started so I can be organized and not get behind and stressed out. It’s a fresh start. So, I want to start off well.”

Her family knows she will do just fine, because according to her mother, “she’s special, special girl.”