In this summer's stifling heat, while many teenagers are sleeping with air conditioning till noon, Lauren McGill is up before sunrise.
She feeds cattle, prepares her heifers for show competitions, drives to a nearby ranch to manage a herd of 77 cows then takes over running her family's general store.
It's a routine the 18-year-old, who graduated from Clover High School in June, is familiar with.
"This is all I know," she said.
"We knew she was going to be a farm girl," said Lauren's mom, Tammy. "The first thing she ever said was 'cow.'"
This month, state agriculture officials, impressed with Lauren's passion and ability, awarded her one of the Future Farmers of America organization's top honors by naming her South Carolina's Star Farmer.
She stood out to judges for managing a cattle herd owned by North American Landscape Co. and for the work she does on her family's farm just outside Clover, of which she is a 75 percent owner.
Along with a plaque and a certificate, she got $1,500 for college.
"Lauren McGill is recognized among the most outstanding young people involved in farming ... in South Carolina," S.C. FFA spokesman John Parris said. "I am convinced that Lauren is programmed for greatness and will continue to be a successful farmer after college and throughout her life."
The McGill family's farm, the Circle M Farm, sits on 60 acres just outside Clover. Their business consists of competing in livestock shows, selling beef cattle and eggs and the family's store.
"It's a 365-day-a-year, 24-hour-a-day job," Tammy McGill said.
On a recent Sunday, for instance, the family was leaving for church when several cows took off from the farm. "We had to chase cows," Tammy said.
Lauren wouldn't trade it for anything else.
"I love it," she said.
That kind of passion for cattle and farm life is unusual among teens, said Carrie Bolin, a Clover High agricultural education teacher who leads the school's FFA club.
"There's only a select few that are this involved," Bolin said. "It takes a lot of dedication."
With 135 members, FFA is a popular club at Clover High, matched only by the school's marching band and choral group, Bolin said.
Started in 1928 to support students who planned careers in farming, the national organization has grown to include the agricultural industry and jobs in food science, human nutrition and alternative fuels. Nationwide FFA claims more than 55,000 members.
To be in a high school FFA club, a student must enroll in at least one agriculture-related course or be involved in an agricultural project outside of school.
Lauren did both. She's taken four of the five agriculture classes at Clover High and been a leading officer of the club.
She plans to enroll at York Technical College in the spring and later transfer to a four-year university. She's thinking about becoming a veterinarian for large animals.
