Brothers
Complete High School Early, Graduate Together
by Don Chance, Star-Telegram, May 29, 2004
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Two
overachieving brothers were among the Azle High School seniors
graduating Friday night at the Fort Worth Convention Center.
Robert Gobel, 17, graduated in his third year of high school,
and Wayne Gobel, 15, graduated in his second.
Cherie Gobel said that her sons did not do well in public school
until after she home-schooled them for 2 1/2 years. Then, she
said, they took off.
"Education is important in our family because I dropped out of
high school," Gobel said. "It was because of my problems with
school. Then I went back and got my GED. I didn't want the same
thing to happen to my children."
The Gobels were born in New Orleans and the family moved to Azle
two years ago.
Carolyn Westin, Azle High School special programs coordinator,
said that the Gobel family is unusually dedicated to education.
She said that the Gobel brothers overcame dyslexia and Attention
Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder to complete the school curriculum
through a combination of conventional high school work and
college correspondence courses.
"Their grades are not up there in the top 10 percent, but their
grades are solid," Westin said. "They're just real go-getters
from a family that puts God, family, education and everything
else in a proper order. Education is just really important to
them. As a result, they work on things like that instead of
getting into mischief. That mom is to be given a ton of credit."
In addition to both brothers dealing with dyslexia and ADHD,
Westin said that dysgraphia, an inability to write correctly,
plagued Wayne throughout his school career.
"But he just works hard at it and goes on," Westin said.
The brothers' sister, Ange'l, 14, plans to graduate in 2005 as a
sophomore.
All three Gobels are set to begin summer classes at Weatherford
College on Tuesday.
Robert said he would eventually like to go on to Mississippi
State University, where he wants to major in marine biology.
Wayne plans to attend Texas Christian University.
"I'd like to become a psychiatrist," Wayne said.
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