Abercrombie & Fitch. Nike. Essence. Zara. The Whitaker Group. H&M.

Students don’t have to go to Paris, Milan or even New York to experience the hottest fashion brands. They simply have to stop by Room 1307 to meet Lorenzo Graise.

Because Graise isn’t just the first-year yearbook teacher. And a former Division 1 track star. He’s also a model for Wilhelmina, Miami Elite and Marilyn’s Agency.

At the suggestion of a friend, Graise began modeling by posting photos of himself on Facebook and Instagram, where he amassed over 5,000 followers. He secured a contract in 2017, but quickly learned of the difficulty of navigating the modeling industry as a beginner.

“You’ve got to grow very quickly and come out of your comfort zone,” Graise said. “Because when the photographer says, ‘pose and smile,’ [and] if it doesn’t look good enough, they’re just going to tell you to get off a set because you’re not giving them what they need.”

As a model, Graise receives 60 to 90 day-delayed paychecks, forcing him to adjust to a life that is far more unstable and sporadic than a traditional day job.

“I think one of the things that I really learned was to become agile,” Graise said. “No matter what came or no matter what happened with my modeling career, I was able to take it [on] the chin, adjust and keep it moving.”

For yearbook Editor-in-Chief and senior Emerald Tang, Graise serves as an example of how you can truly express yourself.

“You can see his creativity reflected physically in what he looks like because I noticed he’ll pull up with really, really fancy shoes every single day,” Tang said. “They’re just so unique and cool to look at.”

Gallery • 3 Photos

Darien Carlos, GA

Graise models a Stone Island jacket and shorts. Stone Island is an international fashion brand based in Ravino, Italy.

But long before Graise stunned in Yeezy boots and limited edition fuzzy, green Nikes, Graise first made his claim to fame in his New Balance track spikes.

“I would make my grandparents chase me around the house,” Graise said. “I just really loved running. No matter what I did, I tried to do it fast, and I didn’t try to walk. I would run.”

Graise began running track in middle school through a club and wanted to continue it at Carver High School in North Carolina “as an actual sport.” Sprinting offered Graise “something to take ownership in,” which culminated in winning states in 2014 in the 2A District for the 4×200 meter in North Carolina.

“It gave me the understanding that I’m ready for bigger,” Graise said. “I’m ready for more. So I stepped into a larger bracket with a larger school, transferred programs and made sure it happened.”

For Graise, this transfer to Parkland High School was the most significant milestone in his track career. At the age of 17, Graise was voted “MVP” for his conference and city for the 400 and 200-meter races. He was also invited to compete at the 2015 New Balance Outdoors Nationals for the 400-meter sprint.

“It was something where I felt like I was being recognized for my natural talent at a young age,” Graise said. “And that felt very authentic to who I was.”

Graise continued sprinting toward his dreams at East Carolina University, where he graduated with a quantitative economics degree in 2020.

“ECU had about the same standard of a program I had at Parkland, so I didn’t see too much of a change just because Parkland was already serious and near the level of a collegiate team,” Graise said. “So when I got to ECU, it felt like I had already been a part of an illustrious program, I was already ready for it. I just flowed right into it.”

Graise’s track coach while at East Carolina gave him lessons that Graise would later use off the track, too.
“My coach always taught me [that] you run your own race,” Graise said. “No matter who was in the competition with you, no matter who was beside you. On the weekends with track meets, we would grow weary, [but] my coach [would] just remind us: you’ve been practicing all week. Use your training.”Graise intends on translating his coach’s words towards the classroom — at Sedgefield Middle School, Phillip O’Berry Academy of Technology, Palisades High School and now Bellaire — where he encourages his students to approach their work with the same mindset.

“Just like a track athlete has to understand, it starts with you,” Graise said. “You have to trust yourself, you have to push yourself, and then everyone else will follow suit.”
His “motivation” and “passion” were the first things sophomore Job Oran noticed about Graise in his graphic design CTE course.

“He’s not here for the paycheck or anything; he’s here to actually inspire the kids,” Oran said. “He’s someone who will say something, [and] he doesn’t really care what other people think about it. That’s who he is [and] how he acts. He’ll be himself.”

Graise’s freedom in expressing himself showed Oran that he, too, could design freely—there were no boundaries to imagination.

“It’s good to see someone show that it’s okay to act how you want to,” Oran said. “I think that’s a very honest and great personality trait. [This class] gives us a chance to create what we want to, [and] show what we want to do.”

Besides managing graphic design, Graise also took over the national, award-winning yearbook from Andrea Negri. But if Tang and the rest of the yearbook staff were “cautiously optimistic” about the new teacher, Graise was likewise hesitant. To prepare, he studied past versions of the Carillon and came up with an action plan for improving three things: “organization, deliverance and approach.”

“I was a little nervous about meeting the [editors-in-chief], meeting the yearbook staff and getting to understand and know them,” Graise said. “[But] that’s been a bliss. They were really receptive to a new person. I’m excited to get this school year started and to go ahead and get in the midst of creating the yearbook because it’s such a fun process.”

Graise believes the small age gap between him and the high schoolers he teaches is one of the key ways he forges a tight community within his classes.

“High schoolers are so much easier to communicate with,” Graise said. “It’s easier to express yourself and articulate your words. You can’t have this conversation with a kindergartener.”

Editor-in-Chief and senior Ellen Dai agrees that Graise’s youth and vitality are extremely refreshing to see in a teacher.

“He’s in his 20s, so he’s closer in age to us,” Dai said. “In terms of activities and interaction with him, the dynamic is completely different. We’re all learning together. It forces everyone to bring the best version of themselves to the table and pushes us beyond what we imagined our role as [editors-in-chief] would be.”